Microscopic Aspects of Failure and Fracture in Cross-Ply Fibre Reinforced Composite Laminates

This paper examines the microscopic deformation processes in composite laminates and seeks to explain (a) the superior tensile fracture toughness of a commercial laminate of the new composite system carbon/bismaleimide over a commercial laminate of the conventional material carbon/epoxy, and (b) the dependence of interlaminar failure in glass and carbon fibre/epoxy laminates on the fracture energy of the matrix resin.