Experimental reexamination of transverse tensile strength for IM7/8552 tape-laminate composites

Abstract

Due to the observed dependence of transverse-tensile strength, Y T, on test geometry and specimen size, there is no consensus regarding a test method that can uniquely measure Y T. This study reexamines the characterization of Y T by comparing results from established flexure tests with results from a new tensile test that exhibits consistent failure in the gage region. Additionally, the effects of surface preparation and direction of transverse fracture are investigated. Results show that Y T is inversely proportional to specimen volume and surface roughness and is insensitive to direction of transverse fracture. The relationship between specimen volume and Y T is adequately captured by Weibull strength-scaling theory, except at the tails of the Y T distributions. However, specimens exhibited microcracking prior to failure, which violates the “weak-link” assumption of the Weibull theory. These findings highlight the challenges of using deterministic Y T values in progressive damage analysis.