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Fracture and toughening in fibre reinforced polymer composites

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Rubber Toughened Engineering Plastics

Abstract

In order to understand the behaviour of polymeric materials for use as matrices in fibre reinforced composites and structural adhesives it is necessary to determine the fracture mechanisms of such polymers not only in the bulk form but also in the form anticipated for their expected use. Even if the resin displays excellent properties in bulk form, they may not be translated to laminated composites. This has been demonstrated by Bersch [1] who identified 24 polymers which show higher strains to failure than current epoxies. However, only five of those resins under investigation provided a higher strain to failure when contained in a composite system, as examined by the residual compression strength after impact technique. Further evidence of the inability to read across information into the composite system was provided by other shortcomings in properties, especially the elastic modulus, which rendered many of the polymers unsuitable for use as matrices in a composite system. Other attempts have been made to improve the composite toughness by improving the toughness of the polymer systems. These also have had disappointing results, in that a large increase in polymer toughness has not necessarily been found to give a proportionate increase in composite toughness.

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Authors
  1. G. C. McGrath
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Flat 2, 9 Elmhyrst Road, Weston Super Mare, BS23 2SJ, UK

    A. A. Collyer

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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McGrath, G.C. (1994). Fracture and toughening in fibre reinforced polymer composites. In: Collyer, A.A. (eds) Rubber Toughened Engineering Plastics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1260-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1260-4_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4549-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1260-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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