Tensile Properties of Plain Weave Glass Fabric Reinforced Epoxy Resin Laminates at Low Temperatures

To understand the tensile behaviors of GFRP at low temperature, three types of specimen have been used in this study. Tensile properties and fracture mechanisms for three orthogonal orientations of plain weave glass fabric reinforced epoxy resin laminate were investigated at temperature range of about -30 to 15 degrees C. The tensile properties of axial and edge type specimen decrease slightly with decreasing temperature to -20 degrees C. However, at -30 degrees C the decreases in the tensile properties increased considerably. Below -20 degrees C, thickness type specimen showed a marked decreases in the tensile properties. It was obvious that the fracture manner of thickness type specimen was adhesive failure at above -10 degrees C and a mixed adhesive and cohesive failure at below -20 degrees C.