Asian-Australasian Association for Composite Materials (AACM) (Kowloon, Hong Kong)
Abstract
This paper presents a finite element analysis and experimental study into the effect of microvascular fibres on the mechanical properties of self-healing carbon-epoxy composite materials. The major aim of this study is to quantify the beneficial and detrimental effects of microvascular fibres on the elastic modulus, strength and interlaminar fracture toughness properties of self-healing composites. Finite element modelling and experimentation showed that microvascular fibre networks reduce the tensile and compressive strengths but increase the mode I interlaminar fracture toughness by blunting and/or deflecting the crack tip. The localised ply waviness induces inter-ply splitting cracking under tensile loading and ply kinking under compression loading which lowers the strength properties; the larger the fibre diameter the greater the reductions in strength and stiffness
