Fracture mechanisms in fibrous composites

Abstract Fibrous composites can fracture in a number of ways; by fibre breakage, by matrix cracking and by fibre pull-out. This paper describes microscopic observations of fibre-matrix debonding, fibre fracture and the pulling-out of broken fibres from a cracked matrix, and presents models for the dissipation of energy in these various processes. Comparison is made between theory and experimental work of fracture data for glass fibre-epoxy, carbon fibre-epoxy and a hybrid composite containing glass fibres and carbon fibres, in order to identify the dominant toughening mechanisms.