TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of a thermoplastic toughening interlayer and hydrothermal conditioning on the Mode-II interlaminar fracture toughness of Carbon/Benzoxazine composites
AU - Nash, N. H.
AU - Young, T. M.
AU - Stanley, W. F.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/2/1
Y1 - 2016/2/1
N2 - Carbon fibre/Benzoxazine laminates with and without non-woven polyamide (PA) fibre veils at the interlaminar regions were manufactured using vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM). The effect of the interlaminar thermoplastic veils on the Mode-II critical strain energy release rate (GIIC), under both wet and dry conditions, was determined using two commercially available Benzoxazine resins: a toughened system and an untoughened system. In all samples the toughened system outperformed the untoughened system. The overall resistance to Mode-II crack growth was significantly improved by the inclusion of the interlaminar veils due to an increase in the thickness of the matrix-rich interlaminar region, plastic deformation of the PA fibres and a crack-pinning mechanism. Moisture caused an increase in matrix ductility, which improved the resistance to crack initiation; however, this was counteracted by a reduction in fibre/matrix interfacial strength causing a reduction in resistance to crack growth.
AB - Carbon fibre/Benzoxazine laminates with and without non-woven polyamide (PA) fibre veils at the interlaminar regions were manufactured using vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding (VARTM). The effect of the interlaminar thermoplastic veils on the Mode-II critical strain energy release rate (GIIC), under both wet and dry conditions, was determined using two commercially available Benzoxazine resins: a toughened system and an untoughened system. In all samples the toughened system outperformed the untoughened system. The overall resistance to Mode-II crack growth was significantly improved by the inclusion of the interlaminar veils due to an increase in the thickness of the matrix-rich interlaminar region, plastic deformation of the PA fibres and a crack-pinning mechanism. Moisture caused an increase in matrix ductility, which improved the resistance to crack initiation; however, this was counteracted by a reduction in fibre/matrix interfacial strength causing a reduction in resistance to crack growth.
KW - A. Carbon fibre
KW - A. Thermosetting resin
KW - B. Environmental degradation
KW - B. Fracture toughness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84947584974&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.compositesa.2015.11.010
DO - 10.1016/j.compositesa.2015.11.010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84947584974
SN - 1359-835X
VL - 81
SP - 111
EP - 120
JO - Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
JF - Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
ER -