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Influence of voids on damage mechanisms in carbon/epoxy composites determined via high resolution computed tomography

Influence of voids on damage mechanisms in carbon/epoxy composites determined via high resolution computed tomography
Influence of voids on damage mechanisms in carbon/epoxy composites determined via high resolution computed tomography
A multi-scale computed tomography (CT) technique has been used to determine the material structure and damage mechanisms in hydrostatically loaded composite circumferential structures. Acoustic emission sensing was used to locate macroscopically regions of high damage under load to inform the computed tomography. The resultant images allow direct three-dimensional analysis of voids, fibre breaks and cracking, for which a high level of confidence can be placed in the results when compared to other indirect and/or surface-based methods.

Ex situ analysis of loaded samples revealed matrix cracking in the longitudinally wound plies, whilst fibre breaks were observed in the circumferentially wound plies. The matrix cracking within the longitudinally wound plies is shown to interact directly with intralaminar voids. The correlation of voids with fibre breaks in the circumferentially wound plies is less distinct. A three-dimensional tessellation technique was used to analyse the spatial distribution of the voids and to compare with single fibre break locations. Whilst there was no first order correlation between fibre break densities and void volume fractions or void dimensions, a distinct correlation was found between voids and nearest neighbouring fibre breaks, where 2.6-5 times more fibre breaks occurred immediately adjacent to a void than would be expected for randomly distributed breaks.
0266-3538
147-153
Scott, Anna
37356844-61d7-450e-b33e-032c2c41903b
Sinclair, I.
6005f6c1-f478-434e-a52d-d310c18ade0d
Spearing, Simon Mark
9e56a7b3-e0e8-47b1-a6b4-db676ed3c17a
Mavrogordato, Mark N.
f3e0879b-118a-463a-a130-1c890e9ab547
Hepples, Warren
2ef2a0f5-159e-4601-b48f-81d015fa9381
Scott, Anna
37356844-61d7-450e-b33e-032c2c41903b
Sinclair, I.
6005f6c1-f478-434e-a52d-d310c18ade0d
Spearing, Simon Mark
9e56a7b3-e0e8-47b1-a6b4-db676ed3c17a
Mavrogordato, Mark N.
f3e0879b-118a-463a-a130-1c890e9ab547
Hepples, Warren
2ef2a0f5-159e-4601-b48f-81d015fa9381

Scott, Anna, Sinclair, I., Spearing, Simon Mark, Mavrogordato, Mark N. and Hepples, Warren (2014) Influence of voids on damage mechanisms in carbon/epoxy composites determined via high resolution computed tomography. Composites Science and Technology, 90, Spring Issue, 147-153. (doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2013.11.004).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A multi-scale computed tomography (CT) technique has been used to determine the material structure and damage mechanisms in hydrostatically loaded composite circumferential structures. Acoustic emission sensing was used to locate macroscopically regions of high damage under load to inform the computed tomography. The resultant images allow direct three-dimensional analysis of voids, fibre breaks and cracking, for which a high level of confidence can be placed in the results when compared to other indirect and/or surface-based methods.

Ex situ analysis of loaded samples revealed matrix cracking in the longitudinally wound plies, whilst fibre breaks were observed in the circumferentially wound plies. The matrix cracking within the longitudinally wound plies is shown to interact directly with intralaminar voids. The correlation of voids with fibre breaks in the circumferentially wound plies is less distinct. A three-dimensional tessellation technique was used to analyse the spatial distribution of the voids and to compare with single fibre break locations. Whilst there was no first order correlation between fibre break densities and void volume fractions or void dimensions, a distinct correlation was found between voids and nearest neighbouring fibre breaks, where 2.6-5 times more fibre breaks occurred immediately adjacent to a void than would be expected for randomly distributed breaks.

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More information

Published date: 10 January 2014
Additional Information: One of several seminal micromechanical investigations of structural composites (UK sector value £2.3bn): we provide the first statistical 3D treatment of porosity on fibre breaks at micrometre resolution. Well cited (14 citations 2016, rising), the work has been central in partnership development, including invitations into the EPSRC Composite Manufacturing Hub (value £9.9M, Notts-led) and the KULeuven-led ITN ‘FiBreMoD’ (total value €3.4M). Follow-on industrial support: Boeing, Mitsubishi, Luxfer and Solvay (cash contributions > £300k). Collaborators from MIT (Wardle, Dept Aeronautics) recently provided this written proposal support : “I have followed the work of the μVIS group at Southampton for some time and know this group to be a world leader in the area of acquiring and interpreting 3D and 4D visualization to improve understanding of many physical systems”.
Organisations: Engineering Science Unit

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 367432
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/367432
ISSN: 0266-3538
PURE UUID: 2f9c0f77-47f3-4e58-9362-3fc12d3b4404
ORCID for Simon Mark Spearing: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3059-2014

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 28 Aug 2014 15:40
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:18

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Contributors

Author: Anna Scott
Author: I. Sinclair
Author: Warren Hepples

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