Predicting the Delamination Mechanisms of Multidirectional Laminates Using the Energy Release Rate Obtained from AE Monitoring

Abstract

This study investigates delamination damage mechanisms during the double cantilever beam standard test using the strain energy release rate. The acoustic emission parameter is used to replace the original calculation method of measuring crack length to predict delamination. For this purpose, 24-layer glass/epoxy multidirectional specimens with different layups, and interface orientations of 0°, 30°, 45°, and 60°, were fabricated based on ASTM D5528 (2013). Acoustic emission testing (AE) is used to detect the damage mechanism of composite multidirectional laminates (combined with microscopic real-time observation), and it is verified that the strain energy release rate can be used as a criterion for predicting delamination damage in composite materials. By comparing the AE results with the delamination expansion images observed by microvisualization in real time, it is found that the acoustic emission parameters can predict the damage of laminates earlier. Based on the data inversion of the acoustic emission parameters of the strain energy release rate, it is found that the strain energy release rate of the specimens with different fiber interface orientations is consistent with the original calculated results.