Abstract
A study has been made of the cooling rate influence on interlaminar fracture toughness of unidirectional carbon/PEEK composites. It is shown that the propagation values of both mode I and II propagation interlaminar fracture toughness increased with increasing cooling rate toward a saturation level. The cooling rate dependency of the composite interlaminar fracture toughness is the result of complex interactions between two important properties; matrix ductility and fibre-matrix interface bond strength. These two properties varied in totally an opposite manner against cooling rate through its effect on crystallinity. The plastic deformation of PEEK matrix played a predominant role for composite toughness, while an adequate interface bond is required to allow matrix deformation to take place fully.
| Original language | British English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | II/- |
| Journal | Key Engineering Materials |
| Volume | 183 |
| State | Published - 2000 |
| Event | 4th International Conference on Fracture and Strength of Solids - Pohang, South Korea Duration: 16 Aug 2000 → 18 Aug 2000 |