A contribution to the application of photoelasticity to the micromechanics of composite materials

Abstract

Photoelastic-model methods can prove advantageous for the investigation of microstresses in composite materials. Some two-dimensional investigations of this type are discussed and the extension of this work into three dimensions is considered. It is suggested that more than one approach to the three-dimensional problem may be practicable, and special attention is paid to obtaining the maximum amount of information from a sandwiched polariscope by means of light-intensity measurements. A cold-casting technique for the fabrication of composite models is also described.