Viscoelastic Effect on the Fracture Toughness of GFRP: Experimental Approach

Abstract

The dynamic fracture tests were carried out for a glass fiber reinforced plastic specimen with a crack and dynamic fracture toughness was evaluated by examination of cracking at an initial slit root. Before the crack initiated at the slit root, a whitened damage zone was created surrounding the slit tip. The damage zone consists of micro cracking in the matrix, debonding between a fiber and the matrix, and fracture of the fiber. The comparison of the dynamic fracture toughness and the static fracture toughness value shows that the former is around 12 MPa√m and apparently higher than the later, which is 7 MPa√m. To understand those experimental results and mechanics of the damage zone, a dynamic debonding test was carried out and dynamic bonding strength was estimated as around 70 MPa.