Off-axis Tension Research Articles

Off-axis mechanical behavior and dynamic characteristics of UHMWPE composite laminates

An understanding of the off-axis mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) cross-ply laminates subjected to quasi-static and dynamic loadings is developed, with focus on the influence of off-axis angle and strain rate. For off-axis tension, UHMWPE laminates exhibit polymer shear response characteristics. An orientation-hardening phenomenon is captured, as fiber rotation leads to local increment of load capacity along the loading orientation. The failure strength presents an evidentially descending trend with off-axis angle from 0° to 45°. A non-monotonic variation of strength with strain rate is further observed: increasing with strain rate up to 500 s−1 but decreasing above, which is attributed to failure mode switching from plastic failure to brittle failure. The Tsai-Wu failure criterion, on homogenized cross-ply laminae, is experimentally modified with rate dependence. Further investigation on detailed information of the unidirectional properties should be conducted with the backing-out scheme to establish unidirectional failure criterion.

Comparing the in-plane shear moduli of cardboard measured by flexural vibration, torsional vibration, static torsion, off-axis vibration, and off-axis tension tests

Abstract Flexural vibration (FV), torsional vibration (TV), static torsion (ST), longitudinal vibration (OAV), and tension (OAT) of 45° off-axis tests of flat pieces of cardboards were analyzed to determine the in-plane shear modulus (IPSM) using samples of various widths. The analyses were performed with simulations using the finite element method (FEM) for models with and without lamination and physical experiments using cardboard samples. For the FV, TV, and ST tests, the IPSM was calculated using binary search (BS) and linear regression (LR). The FEM results suggest that the IPSM values obtained from the TV and ST test simulations were affected by lamination. In contrast, the effect of lamination was not clear in the FV, OAV, and OAT test simulations. The coefficient of variation obtained from the FV experiments was often larger than that obtained from other tests. Despite this variation, the FV test is more attractive than the other tests because the experiments could be performed easily, and the effect of lamination could be reduced.

Experimental Investigation of Mechanical Properties and Failure Mechanisms in Jute-Polyester Composite Laminates under Off-Axis Tensile Loading

Abstract This study focuses on the experimental investigation of the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of jute-polyester composite laminates under off-axis tensile loading. Various off-axis tests were conducted to analyze the effects of different fiber orientations (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°) with respect to the load direction. The experimental results revealed a decrease in both off-axis strength and elastic moduli as the off-axis angle increased. Notably, the 45° off-axis tests exhibited the lowest tensile strength and modulus, indicating a more ductile behavior with the highest failure strain. The tensile stress-strain relationship exhibited a nonlinear behavior during off-axis tension loading. Failure analysis was performed using the Tsai-Wu criteria, considering various values of the interaction coefficient F12. The tensile strength and modulus predicted by the Tsai-Wu criteria demonstrated a good correlation with the experimental results. Consequently, the Tsai-Wu criterion proves effective for analyzing the failure properties of woven fabric composites under multiaxial stress conditions.

X-ray microtomography observation of interfacial debonding in CFRP under combined loading

One of the remaining challenges for advancing the theoretical mechanics of composite materials is to describe the relationship between interfacial debonding and the mechanical properties of composites. The fiber/matrix interfacial debonding of model composites caused by combined loading has been observed by in-situ X-ray radiography and post-mortem X-ray computed tomography (CT) in this paper. Off-axis tension (fiber axis lying at 30°, 45°, 60° or 90° with respect to the loading direction) tests have been performed on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) cruciform specimens using an in-situ loading rig. The morphological characteristics of the cracks at the interface and in the matrix are recorded. Based on our observations, the difference between interfacial debonding caused by normal tension and tangential shear stresses and their cooperative actions in composites under combined loading have been studied. This research can give insights into interfacial debonding in composites and help to build an accurate micro-mechanical model.

Modeling 3D transverse elasto-plastic damage of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer composites using a smeared crack approach

This work presents a novel formulation of a 3D smeared crack model for unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer composites based on a stress invariant approach for transverse yielding and failure initiation, and on a continuum damage approach. This formulation is developed to facilitate the implementation in an implicit solver, increasing solution robustness and computational efficiency in quasi-static and long duration analyses. The performance of the model is evaluated using monotonic and non-monotonic damage evolution, verified with single element tests to demonstrate the consistency of the proposed formulation. Additional benchmark examples regarding off-axis tension and compression tests are simulated and compared with the experimental results, showing good agreement for the plastic response, failure load and failure strain.

Strength properties of unidirectional laminated engineered bamboo boards under off-axis tension and compression tests

The strength properties of 30-mm unidirectional laminated engineered bamboo boards under off-axis tension and compression tests at seven different loading directions were studied in this research. The different failure modes, stress-displacement curves, and the corresponding full-field surface strain field measured through the digital image correlation (DIC) method were reported. The probability plots of off-axis strength values and the estimated characteristic strength values were given. Based on the original test data, the strength criteria based on Tsai and Wu theory was developed for the engineered bamboo panels studied herein. The values of strength tensors Fi and Fij were estimated based on the test results, which can be used to accurately model engineered bamboo products under complex stress conditions such as joint or notch regions. The characteristic off-axis strength values based on the Hankinson's formula given by the current standards are suggested to be further calibrated for design applications.

Evaluation of orthotropic elasticity of gradient-structured bamboo by microtensile testing combined with digital image correlation technique

Bamboo, a biomaterial with a unique gradient structure, possesses exceptional mechanical properties. The gradient structure impacts the mechanical properties of bamboo in the longitudinal (L), radial (R) and tangential (T) directions. To investigate the elasticity associated with gradient structure, we derived the orthotropic elastic constants: Young’s modulus (E), Poisson’s ratio (ν) and shear modulus (G) at different radial positions (outer, central and inner) through micro-tensile testing and the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. Our results revealed that the Young’s modulus of bamboo exhibited a characteristic orthotropic behavior irrespective of radial position. The ratio of E in the L, T and R directions (EL:ET:ER) was 6.05:1.08:1, 5.12:1.17:1 and 8.02:1.58:1, respectively at the outer, central and inner positions. With increasing fiber fraction, ν (except νRT) demonstrated an upward trend. Under main axis tension, fiber pull-out and brittle fracture were the main failure modes, whereas off-axis tension exposed the vulnerable interface between fibers and parenchyma cells. The enhancement effect of the gradient structure in the L and T directions was more prominent, resulting in a consistent deformation pattern from the inner to outer positions. However, strain localization was found when tensioning through the R direction. Leveraging the derived orthotropic elastic constants, we visualized the three-dimensional elastic behavior of bamboo by body deformation. Bamboo at the outer position exhibited quasi-isotropic behavior in the RT plane due to the high fiber fraction. This study provides critical experimental evidence for the orthotropic behavior of bamboo at different radial positions and valuable data for mechanical modeling and practical applications involving bamboo.

Digital Image Correlation Analysis of Strain Fields in Fibre-Reinforced Polymer–Matrix Composite under ±45° Off-Axis Tensile Testing

This study presents an experimental investigation of an in-plane shear of a glass lamina composite using a ±45° off-axis tension test. Typically, the shear stress curve, shear modulus, and in-plane shear strength for composite lamina-type materials are identified. Previous research indicated that a loading rate affects the strength of this composite. This study extends the existing literature by utilising a non-contact optical digital image correlation (DIC) method to measure strain distribution during the test. Two cross-head displacement rates were examined. The obtained strain maps reveal an uneven distribution resembling fabric texture. As the deformation progresses, the differences in the strain pattern increase. Subsequently, a quantitative analysis of the differences between regions with extreme (minimum and maximum) strain values and regions with average values was conducted. Based on these measurements, shear stress–strain curves, indicating variations in their courses, were constructed. These differences may reach several percent and may influence the analysis of numerical simulations. The DIC results were validated using strain gauge measurements, a commonly utilised method in this test. It was demonstrated that the location of the strain gauge installation impacts the results. During the tests, the occurrence of multiple microcracks in the resin was observed, which can contribute to the nonlinearity observed in the shear stress–shear strain curve.

Off-Axis Tension Behaviour of Unidirectional PEEK/AS4 Thermoplastic Composites

An experimental method for non-standard off-axis tension tests of unidirectional composites is developed. A new oblique end-tab is designed to eliminate stress concentration and in-plane bending moment induced by off-axis tension loading. Finite element analysis and experiments on Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)/AS4 unidirectional thermoplastic composites (CFRTP) were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed testing method. Simulation and test results demonstrate that the use of oblique end-tabs eradicates stress concentration and bending movements. The digital image correlation (DIC) method was used to help investigate the full-field tension/shear coupling deformation response of the off-axis specimen. Test results show significant nonlinear behaviour and inhomogeneous strain distribution under tension/shear combined stresses. A fractographic study was carried out to study the damage mechanisms under a tension/shear combined stress state. Specimens with 30°, 45° and 60° off-axis angles, fail in tension/shear mixed failure mode. Fracture surface morphology indicates that matrix plastic deformation and ductile drawing under tension/shear coupled stress state induced the nonlinear stress-strain response.

Open hole tensile behavior of plain woven carbon/glass hybrid composites

Hybrid composites are increasingly attractive for advanced engineering applications. In this study, the open-hole tensile (OHT) properties and failure mechanism of plain woven carbon fiber, glass fiber, and carbon/glass hybrid fiber composites under on-axis (0°) and off-axis (45°) loads were investigated through experimental and numerical approaches. The progressive damage was characterized by high-speed infrared thermography. The numerical simulation presented a good explanation on the damage development. It indicates that the carbon/glass hybrid composites exhibited significant improvement in failure strain and toughness compared to pure carbon fiber composite. With the insertion of glass fiber layers, the failure modes of hybrid structures were modified and quick propagation of cracks was prevented. Once the cracking on their carbon layers had initiated there was an increase in damage to glass fiber layers showing the transfer of stress from carbon layers to glass layers. Similar mechanical properties were reached among sandwich-like hybrid samples in on-axis tension, but much greater properties can be achieved when the carbon fiber at the interior layers of the hybrid specimens under off-axis load. Since glass fiber with great ductility was laminated as the surface layers in hybridization, resulting in less delamination and higher ultimate strength in 45○ off-axis tension.

Material parameters of European spruce for tensile–shear fracture modeling

In this work, we present the results from an experimental campaign on solid and glued laminated timber made of European spruce (Picea abies) with 10.5mm or 45mm thick lamellas. We conducted off-axis tension and compression tests, shear block test, and compact tension test. The main purpose of the study was to obtain a consistent set of material parameters suitable for the calibration of a material model capable of capturing complex timber behavior, i.e. both linear and non-linear response together with respective fracture pattern, under various combinations of tension, shear, and compression. Elastic parameters and strengths parallel and perpendicular to the grain were retrieved from off-axis tension and compression tests. The traction–separation relation and fracture energy for the crack parallel to the grain was obtained by inverse analysis of compact tension test. The results capture the complexity of timber fracture and provide data for numerical simulations.

Mechanical response and damage mechanism of 2D woven SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites under tension-shear coupling load

The macroscopic mechanical behavior and coupling damage mechanism of 2D woven SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC) prepared by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process under tension-shear coupling load were experimentally analyzed. At macroscale, the uniaxial tension, uniaxial shear and off-axis tension tests were completed and the results were compared. The tensile modulus and proportional limit have no significant difference with the increase of off-axis angle, while failure strength decreases by 22.3% compared the 45° tensile (165.4 MPa) with the 0° tensile (212.8 MPa). Based on the strain-difference analysis, the coupling damage effect of SiCf/SiC-CMC was characterized. At microscale, the main damage types of SiCf/SiC-CMC during loading were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the corresponding laws between micro damage development and macro mechanical behavior under different loading conditions were revealed by cluster analysis of acoustic emission (AE) signals. The test results show that the micro damage caused by tensile and shear stress components promote each other. The macro mechanical behavior of SiCf/SiC-CMC under complex loading is controlled by basic micro damage forms such as matrix cracking, interface debonding and fiber fracture. The tension-shear coupling load affects the evolution process of the basic damage forms, and then change the macro properties of SiCf/SiC-CMC.

Identification of Elastic Characteristics of Unidirectional CFRP under Off-Axis Tension Taking into Account the Rates of Loading

Polymer-based fiber composites have a number of unique physical and mechanical properties and are widely used in the design of structural elements in rocket and space engineering. However, along with the high characteristics of strength and rigidity, there is a noticeable anisotropy of properties which contributes to occurrence and development of damage leading to degradation of the load bearing capacity of structures and their premature destruction. Along with development of micromechanical and phenomenological models, an important place has the procedure for identifying the basic characteristics of composite materials. Such characteristics, in particular, include those of layer elasticity which are usually used when designing structures. However, even such characteristics depend on the loading conditions and for their identification, computational methods based on statistical analysis should be used. This paper attempts to identify the elastic characteristics based on test results of unidirectional carbon plastic with AS4 carbon fibers and polyetheretherketone thermoplastic matrix. For identification, the least squares method was used for samples tested at off-axis angles of 0, 10, 30, 45, 60 and 90 ° and different values of strain rates.

Mechanical analysis of fiber-reinforced plastics using an elastoplastic-damage constitutive equation considering asymmetric material behavior

Mechanical modeling of fiber-reinforced plastics to predict nonlinear mechanical behavior along the off-axis direction is very complex due to tension–compression asymmetry. This study aimed aims to develop a generalized constitutive model for different types of unidirectional and woven composites, considering tension–compression asymmetry in various deformation ranges from elastic to plastic, and finally to failure. To capture the asymmetry effectively, a new multivariable plastic model was proposed with additional dilatational components and different elastic moduli for tension and compression. Finally, asymmetric failure criteria and a damage evolution law were introduced for strength prediction. The proposed model was implemented in a finite element analysis software via a user material subroutine, and experimentally validated in terms of off-axis tension and compression tests in various loading directions. The experimental results were accurately predicted using a multi-parameter plastic model in this study compared to previous other models with few parameters.

Comparison of the shear behavior in graphite-epoxy composites evaluated by means of biaxial test and off-axis tension test

Abstract Characterization of shear behavior in composite materials remains a not fully solved problem. In the last fifty years, many different approaches have been proposed to solve this problem (rail shear, thin-walled tube torsion, off-axis tensile, ±45° tensile, Arcan, Iosipescu, asymmetric four-point bend, plate twist, v-notched rail shear, off-axis flexural, and shear frame), although none of these approaches have achieved an unquestionable solution. For this reason, proposals of alternative methods and comparison between different experimental techniques are of interest. In the present work, the use of cruciform samples with the fiber oriented at 45° with respect to the load directions, and subjected to tension-compression (creating a pure shear stress state at the central part of the samples), is studied. The experimental results of the cruciform samples have been compared with the off-axis tests (with the fiber at 10°) for the same material (AS4/8552), finding a good agreement between the shear experimental curves, especially at the initial part of the curve, where the shear modulus is calculated. Nevertheless, the shear strength value obtained by means of the cruciform specimen has shown to be significantly lower than that obtained using the off-axis test. A Finite Element numerical model of the cruciform specimen has been developed to analyze the stress field of the samples. Numerical results have shown that there is a central area of the cruciform specimens where a pure and uniform shear stress state is developed, which is suitable for the evaluation of the shear constitutive law of the material. It has been observed that there is a (σ 22) stress concentration in the transition between the straight and curved parts of the boundary geometry of the samples, which explain some premature failures of the samples. This premature failure could be avoided with tabs extended up to the beginning of the central part of the sample.

Experimental and numerical investigation of progressive damage and failure behavior for 2.5D woven alumina fiber/silica matrix composites under a complex in-plane stress state

The focus of this work is to characterize the progressive damage and failure behavior of 2.5D woven alumina fiber reinforced silica ceramic matrix thin composite specimen under a planar tension-shear stress state. The tensile and shear stress–strain diagrams in the principal material coordinate system were obtained using the off-axis tension test with the digital image correlation technique. A mesoscale finite element model of the composite material was developed within the framework of continuum damage mechanics. The thickness effect on the macroscopic mechanical response was considered by removing the periodic boundary conditions along the thickness direction. The macroscopic stress–strain response given by the numerical model was validated by the experimental results. The interaction of the planar biaxial tension and shear stresses was taken into account in the model, quantified using a shear contribution coefficient in the modified 3D Hashin failure criterion. The results from the damage evolution analysis indicate that the linear tensile stress–strain response with a brittle fracture characteristic for the on-axis tension specimen is governed by the axial fiber bundle. The nonlinear tensile stress–strain response with the significantly reduced ultimate stress under biaxial tension and shear stress state results from multiple damages with evolution in both axial and transverse fiber bundles. Both the effective tensile modulus and the ultimate tensile strength increase with increasing the thickness of the specimen due to the increase of the fiber volume fraction. The strengthening induced by the size effect is less significant for the specimen under biaxial tension and shear stress state than that for the on-axis tension specimen owing to the involvement of shear response dominated by the matrix of the material. The results of this study provide new insight into the failure of 2.5D woven ceramic-based composite material, which contributes to the optimal design of the reusable thermal protection system structure.

Dynamic shear strength evaluation of CFRP using off-axis tension test: theoretical and experimental studies

Shear strength evaluation in composites is still a problem that has not been fully solved. Dynamic shear strength evaluation is even more complicated. In present work, failure theories are used to determine the range of fiber orientations in which the evaluation of shear strength is feasible. The symmetrical laminate is used to eliminate coupled shear strain to improve measurement accuracy. Three different fiber orientation laminates are chosen for quasi-static tension test. And a combination of experimental and numerical method is carried out for high strain rate tests. The results show that the fiber orientation of ± 15° is suitable for evaluating the dynamic shear strength of CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer). This study is of great significance to dynamic shear strength evaluation method of continuous fiber reinforced composites considering strain rate effect.

Multi-scale damage mechanics method for predicting fatigue life of plain-braided C/SiC composites

In order to predict fatigue life of plain-braided C/SiC composites, a fiber bundle unit cell model and a braided unit cell model were established based on the meso-structure of two-dimensional braided C/SiC composites. First, different failure modes were considered and a progressive damage model of the two-dimensional braided C/SiC composite was established. Based on the results obtained by on-axis uniaxial tensile tests, the damage process of the unit cell model during off-axis tension was analyzed. In fatigue damage analysis, the uniaxial tensile fatigue experimental data of the plain-braided C/SiC composite standard specimen were used to fit the fatigue damage evolution equation of the fiber bundle. The fatigue damage results obtained by the model under uniaxial, biaxial, and shear loading were analyzed and fitted to obtain the equivalent stress equation and anisotropic macro-damage evolution equation. Finally, the life of the plain-braided C/SiC composite was estimated under random loading.

Effects of fabric architectures on mechanical and damage behaviors in carbon/epoxy woven composites under multiaxial stress states

The mechanical properties and damage evolutions of carbon/epoxy woven fabric composites with three different fabric architectures, including one plain weave and two twill weave patterns, are experimentally investigated under multiaxial stress states. In particular, the effects of weave patterns are investigated by monotonic and cyclic off-axis tension tests. Both elastic modulus and strength degrade remarkably with increasing off-axis loading angle, while Poisson's ratio is much higher than that measured from on-axis tests and increases with loading strain gradually. Different fabric architectures show limited effects on the modulus and strength under multiaxial stress states, and they are well predicted by transformation equation and Tsai-Wu failure criteria, respectively. However, significantly different failure behaviors are observed in three fabric composites, and microstructure observation shows that fabric architecture affects the stress concentration and the damage development. Smaller crimp ratio and compacted structure postpone the damage development but result in more abrupt failure under multiaxial stress states.

Effect of Hot-Wet Storage Aging on Mechanical Response of a Woven Thermoplastic Composite

The effect of hot-wet storage aging on the mechanical response of a carbon fiber polyether ether ketone (PEEK)-matrix woven composite has been studied. A wide range of static loads and selected cyclic load tests on the interlaminar fatigue strength were performed. Static tests were conducted in batch mode, including on- and off-axis tension, compression, flexure, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and fracture tests in Modes I, II and I/II. Respective mechanical properties have been determined, indicating a degrading effect of aging on strength-related properties. The measured response in general, as well as the variance quantified by batch-mode test execution, indicated the appropriateness of the applied standards on the material under consideration, especially in the case of fracture tests. The material properties presented in the current work may provide a useful basis towards preliminary design with PEEK-based woven thermoplastic composites during service in aerospace applications.