High strain rate properties of Glass/Epoxy composites

Fibre-reinforced composites (FRPs) are strong, light, and resistant to corrosion. However, they are complex and highly anisotropic: They can deform and degrade via a variety of damage and failure modes, and their performance can be affected by macro-, meso- and micro-structural material properties such as fibre architecture – as well as by specimen geometry, loading configuration and environmental conditions. Wider use of FRPs is limited by the need for accurate and reliable predictive modelling, which in turn relies on good experimental data. However, their inherent complexity and structure means they are not necessarily suited to the usual suite of high-rate “materials characterization” tests, as the concept of a wholly bulk-representative specimen may not be applicable. Indeed, we should arguably consider FRPs as structures, rather than materials in the traditional sense. To explore this issue, this talk will consider the effects of variables such as fibre layups, specimen geometry and ageing on small-scale, high-rate laboratory tests, in order to delve deeper into the structure-property relationships of FRPs.