Experimental evaluation of longitudinal splitting in unidirectional composites

An experimental study was conducted to determine the fracture behavior of centernotched, unidirectional graphite/epoxy laminates when subjected to tensile loading. The actual behavior is compared to the behavior predicted by a mathematical model based on classical shear-lag assumptions. Experimental results show the fracture behavior to consist of two modes of longitudinal matrix splitting. After split initiation, a region of slow, stable split growth occurs. This is followed by a distinct transition into a rapid split growth region. However, the shear-lag model predicts a single region of rapid longitudinal split growth behavior with unbounded splitting occurring after approximately a ten percent increase in the applied stress over the split initiation stress. It is therefore concluded that the classical shear-lag model does not accurately predict the complete longitudinal split growth behavior in a brittle matrix composite. This shortcoming in the model and some results obtained from related elasticity solutions are discussed and it is suggested that the slow, stable split growth region is likely dominated by transverse matrix normal stresses which are not accounted for in the classical shear-lag model.