Failure analysis of delaminated carbon/epoxy composite under pure bending: validation with numerical analysis
Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures
ISSN: 1573-6105
Article publication date: 6 July 2021
Issue publication date: 10 August 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Delamination is a common and crucial damage mode which occurs during manufacturing of layered composites or their service life. Its existence leads to degradation in mechanical properties or even structural failure of composites. Hence, the purpose of this article is to study the effect of induced delamination on flexural performance of CFRP composites.
Design/methodology/approach
In this article, the flexural behaviors of intact and delaminated carbon/epoxy laminates were investigated under pure bending. A circular PTFE film was introduced during fabrication to create artificial delamination. Moreover, finite element models were developed for intact and delaminated composites using ANSYS. The created models were discretized using 3D structural eight node solid elements.
Findings
The delamination influenced considerably flexural properties of composite. The composite exhibited a linear elastic nature prior to the damage of top ply on the compression side. The flexural strength and stiffness of the composite reduced to 44.5% and 18.2% respectively due to the existence of artificial delamination. The results of four point bending experiments and finite element analysis agreed for both intact and delaminated composites within acceptable error. Finally for same composites, first ply failure analysis was carried out using Tsai-Hill, Tsai-Wu and Hashin failure criteria.
Originality/value
In pure bending, beam section of the middle portion is free from shear. It is not so in case of three-point bending. Hence, the effect of embedded artificial defect on bending performance of CFRP composite due to pure bending has been investigated.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Dr. Ramji Manoharan, Professor and Head and Dr. Gangadharan Raju, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, India for providing permission to conduct experiments in composites research laboratory.
Funding: This work was not funded by any organization.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Citation
Kopparthi, P.K., Gemaraju, S., Pathakokila, B.R. and Gamini, S. (2021), "Failure analysis of delaminated carbon/epoxy composite under pure bending: validation with numerical analysis", Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 974-989. https://doi.org/10.1108/MMMS-01-2021-0015
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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