The Influence of Matrix Chemical Structure on the Mode I and II Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Glass-Fiber/Epoxy Composites

VERA ÁLVAREZ; CELINA R. BERNAL; PATRICIA M. FRONTINI,; ANALIA VÁZQUEZ

POLYMER COMPOSITES

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2003 p. 140 - 148

0272-8397

The present paper is concerned with Mode I and Mode II delamination tests performedon three different glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites, chosen to obtaindifferent final structures. The effect of crosshead speed on the fracture resistance ofthe composites was also analyzed. It was found that Mode I propagation values(GIC) increase as the crosshead speed decreases, probably because of the increaseof brittleness in the studied range. An Arrhenius type relation between GIC and theglass transition temperature of the epoxy resin/amine system (Tg) was found. ModeII initiation values (GIICinit ) and apparent shear strength (SH) were found to increasewith the decrease of Tg. The relation between matrix toughness and compositeinterlaminar fracture toughness was also considered. Finally, the GIC propagationvalues were compared to the data available in literature for similar materials.