ON THE APPLICATION OF FRACTURE MECHANICS TO COMPOSITE MATERIALS

The application of fracture mechanics to composite materials is discussed. Three contrasting case studies are provided: the measurement of critical J-integral (J sub c) for short fibre composites, modelling the development of matrix cracking in continuous fibre (non-woven) composites, and the prediction of notched tensile strength of woven fabric composites. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E204495.