MECHANICAL-BEHAVIOR OF CRACKED WOVEN GLASS/EPOXY LAMINATES UNDER TENSION AT LOW-TEMPERATURES

We considered the thermomechanical response of cracked G-10CR glass/epoxy laminates with temperature-dependent properties. A finite element method was used to study the influence of residual thermal stresses and warp angles on the mechanical behaviour of a two-layer woven laminate with a fill crack at low temperatures. Numerical calculations were carried out, and the mechanical properties and stress distributions at low temperatures are shown graphically for various warp angles. The stiffness was found to increase with decreasing values of temperature Phi and warp angle theta. The influence of the crack on the stiffness was also examined. The existence of a crack produced lower stiffness, and the tendency was more pronounced with increasing warp angles. The lower temperature produced a higher tensile-stress concentration in the crack-tip area, and the debonding stress tended to increase with increasing a and decreasing Phi.