• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.277-287
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• 1999

Quasi-static tests such as monotonic tension and loading/unloading tension were performed to investigate the bond characteristics and the failure processes for the T-joint specimens made from fiber/epoxy composite material. Two types of specimens, each consists of two components, e. g. skin and frame. were manufactured by co-curing and secondary bonding. During the monotonic tension test, AE instrument was used to predict AE signal at the initial and middle stage of the damage propagation. The damage initiation and progression were monitored optically using m (Charge Coupled Device) camera. And the internal crack front profile was examined using ultrasonic C-scan. The results indicate that the loads representing the abrupt increase of the AE signal are within the error range of 5 percent comparing to the loads shown in the load-time curve. Also it is shown that the initiation of crack occurred in the noodle region for both co-cured and secondarily bonded specimen. The final failure occurred in the noodle region for the co-cured specimen. but at the skin/frame termination point for the secondarily bonded specimen. Based on the results, it was found that two kinds of specimen show different failure modes depending on the manufacturing methods.

• Composites Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2008

Rubber hose assembly for automotive hydraulic brake during operation is subject to combined stresses of cyclic pressure, cyclic bending and torsion as well as thermal load. The rubber hose is composed of ethylene-propylene diene monomer(EPDM) rubber layers reinforced by polyvinyl acetate(PVA) braided fabrics. A durability tester with loading rigs for inducing the above cyclic stresses was used to investigate failure mechanisms in the rubber hose assembly. Failure examination was performed at every 100 thousands cycles of bending and torsion. Hose samples were sectioned with a diamond-wheel cutter and then polished. The polished surface was observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Some interfacial delamination with a length of about 1mm along the interface between EPDM rubber and PVA fabrics was shown at the test cycles of 400,000. The delamination induced some cracking into the outer rubber skin layer to leading the final rupture of the hose.

• Composites Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.23-31
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• 2002

The two dimensional size effect of specimen gauge section ($length{\;}{\times}{\;}width$) was investigated on the compressive behavior of a T300/924 $\textrm{[}45/-45/0/90\textrm{]}_{3s}$, carbon fiber-epoxy laminate. A modified ICSTM compression test fixture was used together with an anti-buckling device to test 3mm thick specimens with a $30mm{\;}{\times}{\;}30mm,{\;}50mm{\;}{\times}{\;}50mm,{\;}70mm{\;}{\times}{\;}70mm{\;}and{\;}90mm{\;}{\times}{\;}90mm$ gauge length by width section. In all cases failure was sudden and occurred mainly within the gauge length. Post failure examination suggests that $0^{\circ}$ fiber microbuckling is the critical damage mechanism that causes final failure. This is the matrix dominated failure mode and its triggering depends very much on initial fiber waviness. It is suggested that manufacturing process and quality may play a significant role in determining the compressive strength. When the anti-buckling device was used on specimens, it was showed that the compressive strength with the device was slightly greater than that without the device due to surface friction between the specimen and the device by pretoque in bolts of the device. In the analysis result on influence of the anti-buckling device using the finite element method, it was found that the compressive strength with the anti-buckling device by loaded bolts was about 7% higher than actual compressive strength. Additionally, compressive tests on specimen with an open hole were performed. The local stress concentration arising from the hole dominates the strength of the laminate rather than the stresses in the bulk of the material. It is observed that the remote failure stress decreases with increasing hole size and specimen width but is generally well above the value one might predict from the elastic stress concentration factor. This suggests that the material is not ideally brittle and some stress relief occurs around the hole. X-ray radiography reveals that damage in the form of fiber microbuckling and delamination initiates at the edge of the hole at approximately 80% of the failure load and extends stably under increasing load before becoming unstable at a critical length of 2-3mm (depends on specimen geometry). This damage growth and failure are analysed by a linear cohesive zone model. Using the independently measured laminate parameters of unnotched compressive strength and in-plane fracture toughness the model predicts successfully the notched strength as a function of hole size and width.