Fatigue behavior and damage analysis by the acoustic emission technique of cross-ply laminates under tensile loading

• Published in: Multidiscipline modeling in materials and structures Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 150 - 164
• Main Authors: Ben Ammar, Imen, El Mahi, Abderrahim, Karra, Chafik, El Guerjouma, Rachid, Haddar, Mohamed
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bingley Emerald Publishing Limited 14-08-2017; Emerald Group Publishing Limited; Emerald
• Subjects: Acoustic emission testing; Acoustic fatigue; Acoustic measurement; Acoustics; Carbon fiber reinforced plastics; Carbon fibers; Cluster analysis; Composite materials; Crack propagation; Damage assessment; Damage detection; Data processing; Emission analysis; Engineering Sciences; Failure load; Fatigue failure; Fatigue tests; Fibers; Glass fiber reinforced plastics; Glass-epoxy composites; Laboratories; Laminates; Manufacturing; Mechanical properties; Mechanics; Propagation; Scanning electron microscopy; Science; Stacking; Tensile tests; Thickness; Wavelet transforms; Acoustic emission; Fatigue; Cross-ply laminates; Tensile; Damage
• ISSN: 1573-6105; 1573-6113
• DOI: 10.1108/MMMS-08-2016-0036

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the mechanical behavior in fatigue tensile mode of different cross-ply laminates constituted of unidirectional carbon fibers, hybrid fibers and glass fibers in an epoxy matrix; and to identify and characterize the local damage in the laminated materials with the use of the acoustic emission (AE) technique.
Design/methodology/approach
The tests in the fatigue mode permitted the determination of the effect of the stacking sequences, thickness of 90° oriented layers and reinforcement types on the fatigue mechanical behavior of the laminated materials. The damage investigation in those materials is reached with the analysis of AE signals collected from fatigue tensile tests.
Findings
The results show the effects of reinforcement type, stacking sequences and thicknesses ratio of 90° and 0° layers on the mechanical behavior. A cluster analysis of AE data is achieved and the resulting clusters are correlated with the damage mechanism of specimens under loading tests.
Originality/value
The analysis of AE signals collected from tensile tests of the fatigue failure load allows the damage investigation in different types of cross-ply laminates which are differentiated by the reinforcement type, stacking sequences and thicknesses ratio of 90° and 0° layers.