This thesis addresses the influence of veil architecture on interlaminar fracture toughness (IFT) of interleaved unidirectional (UD) carbon fibre-epoxy composites with the aim to provide insights. Two nonwoven veils sets formed from polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) fibres with different diameters, with a range of increasing areal density, and a sample of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) fibres, with comparable fibre diameter, are characterised gravimetrically and by tensile tests (long and zero span). Consequently, the anisotropy and maximum stress transfer efficiency (MSTE) parameters are shown by these veils. Subsequently, the veils are interleaved within UD composites and assessed for mode I and mode II IFT. In both modes the veils show a strong dependence on areal density before a plateau at high areal densities, although the lower diameter fibres showed higher IFT values. Interpretation of the results reveal that the difference is attributable to the coverage of veils and thus, to the fraction of fibres in the propagation of crack. However, the effect of fibres is quite evident through the fibre bridging mechanism in the propagation of cracks, more significantly in mode I than in mode II. Moreover, in mode I and mode II a linkage of MSTE of veils with low data variability in IFT is observed. With regard to the anisotropy, this is notably significant only for the PEEK sample, though a statistical analysis supports that the IFT values from both types of fibres are consistent. A comparison of data revealed a slight dependence of the ratio mode II/mode I on areal density only for the larger diameter PPS fibre and the anisotropy of PEEK sample has a strong influence on this ratio. In both modes, however, data presented by this study are consistent with data provided by previous work. Subsequently, mass distribution of veil handsheets is assessed for both modes of IFT into UD composites, revealing no significant dependence of mass distribution on mode I IFT, whereas for mode II this dependence is significant due to the effect a variety of fractional open area size and the floculatted fibres. Fractographic observations via SEM (Scanning Electro Microscope) from representative interleaved composites are analysed and discussed.

Hollow glass microspheres have been used extensively in the automotive and marine industries as an additive for reducing weight and saving material costs. They are also added to paints and other materials for their reflective properties. They have shown promise for weight critical applications, but have thus far resulted in materials with low fracture toughness and impact resistance when combined with thermosetting resins in syntactic foam. The advent of commercially available microspheres with a wide range of crushing strengths, densities and adhesive properties has given new impetus to research into syntactic foam with better fracture behaviour. Current research suggests that the beneficial effects on fracture and impact resistance gained by the addition of solid reinforcements such as rubber and ceramic particles are not seen with the addition of hollow glass microspheres. The research presented in this paper has examined the mechanisms for fracture resistance in glass microsphere filled epoxy (GMFE) syntactic foams, as well as determined the effect microsphere crushing strength and adhesion strength has on the material???s fracture toughness. The flexural properties of various GMFE have also been determined. GMFE were manufactured with varying microsphere volume fraction up to 50%, and with variances in microsphere crushing strength and adhesion. The specimens were tested for Mode I fracture toughness in a three point single edge notched bending setup as described in ASTM D5045 as well as a three point flexural setup as described in ASTM D790-3. Fracture surfaces were inspected using scanning electron microscope imaging to identify the fracture mechanisms in the presence of microspheres. Results indicate a positive effect on fracture toughness resulting from new fracture areas created as tails in the wake of the microspheres in the fracture plane. Results also indicate a negative effect on fracture toughness resulting from weak microspheres or from interfacial disbonding at the fracture plane. These two effects combine to show an increase in GMFE fracture toughness as the volume fraction of microspheres is increased to between 10 ??? 20% volume fraction (where the positive effect dominates), with a reduction in fracture toughness as microspheres are added further (where the negative effect dominates).

The development of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) has attracted a lot of attention due to their potential to create a low cost flexible solar cell platform. In general, an OPV is comprised of a number of layers of thin films that include the electrodes, active layers and barrier films. Thus, with all of the interfaces within OPV devices, the potential for failure exists in numerous locations if adhesion at the interface between layers is inherently low or if a loss of adhesion due to device aging is encountered. To date, few studies have focused on the basic properties of adhesion in organic photovoltaics and its implications on device reliability. In this dissertation, we investigated the adhesion between interfaces for a model multilayer barrier film (SiNx/PMMA) used to encapsulate OPVs. The barrier films were manufactured using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and the interfacial fracture toughness (Gc, J/m2) between the SiNx and PMMA were quantified. The fundamentals of the adhesion at these interfaces and methods to increase the adhesion were investigated. In addition, we investigated the adhesive/cohesive behavior of inverted OPVs with different electrode materials and interface treatments. Inverted OPVs were fabricated incorporating different interface modification techniques to understand their impact on adhesion determined through the interfacial fracture toughness (Gc, J/m2). Overall, the goal of this study is to quantify the adhesion at typical interfaces used in inverted OPVs and barrier films, to understand methods that influence the adhesion, and to determine methods to improve the adhesion for the long term mechanical reliability of OPV devices.

Metallic honeycomb structures are being studied for use as thermal protection systems for hypersonic vehicles and as structural panels in other aerospace applications. One potential concern is the growth of fatigue cracks in the thin face-sheets used for these structures. To address this concern, the fatigue behavior of thin aluminum base alloy sheets ranging from 30 m to 250 m in thickness was investigated. The effect of material roll direction was also considered at 30 m. In all cases, the fatigue crack growth rates were found to be one to two orders of magnitude higher than that of the same material of greater thickness. In addition to data for fatigue crack growth rate, data are also presented for the effect of thickness on the fracture toughness of these materials.

The mechanical characterization of the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of carbon nanotube (CNT) coated carbon fibers and the interlaminar fracture toughness of woven fabric carbon fiber/epoxy composites toughened with CNT/epoxy interleave films is presented. The deposition of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) onto the surface of carbon fibers through thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was used in an effort to produce a graded, multifunctional interphase region used to improve the interfacial strength between the matrix and the reinforcing fiber. Characterization of the IFSS was performed using the single-fiber fragmentation test. It is shown that the application of a MWCNT coating improves the interfacial shear strength between the coated fiber and matrix when compared with uncoated fibers. The effect of CNT/epoxy thin interleave films on the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness of woven fabric carbon/epoxy composites is examined using the double-cantilever beam (DCB) test. Initiation fracture toughness, represented by critical strain energy release rate (GIC), is shown to improve over standard un-toughened composites using amine-functionalized CNT/epoxy thin films. Propagation fracture toughness is shown to remain unaffected using amine-functionalized CNT/epoxy thin films with respect to standard un-toughened composites.

Polymer composites are engineered materials widely being used and yet not completely understood for their dynamic response. It is important to fully characterize material properties before using them for applications in critical industries, like that of defense or transport. In this project, the focus is on determining dynamic fracture toughness property of fiber reinforced polymer composites by using a combined numerical- experimental methodology. Impact tests are conducted on Split-Hopkinson pressure bar with required instrumentation to obtain load-history and initiation of crack propagation parameters followed by finite element analysis to determine desired dynamic properties. Single edge notch bend(SENB) type geometry is used for Mode-I fracture testing and similarly end-notched flexure (ENF) type of geometry is proposed to test the samples for Mode-II type of fracture. Two different linear elastic fracture mechanics approaches are used- crack opening displacement and strain energy release rates. Dynamic fracture toughness values of around 50 MPa[square root of m] and 100 MPa[square root of m] in Mode-I, whereas, around 40 MPa[square root of m] and 6 MPa[square root of m] in Mode-II are observed for carbon-epoxy and fiberglass-epoxy composites respectively. To provide a better estimate of material response, Hashin damage model is employed which takes into account non-linear behavior of composites. As observed in previous studies, values estimated using a non-linear response of composite laminates are nearly three times as high, therefore, using a linear elastic material model could underestimate a material's capacity to sustain dynamic loads without failure. It is concluded that fracture initiation toughness property is rate dependent and is higher when subjected to dynamic loads. Microscopic examination of damaged samples and a higher value of dynamic fracture toughness for fiberglass-epoxy laminates as compared to carbon-epoxy laminates suggest that dynamic fracture toughness is also a function of many other variables like mode of fracture, dominant damage criteria, manufacturing process, constituent materials and their ratios.

Granitic rocks usually exhibit strongly anisotropy due to pre-existing microcracks induced by long-term geological loadings. The understanding of anisotropy in mechanical properties of rocks is critical to a variety of rock engineering applications. In this thesis, the anisotropy of tension-related failure parameters involving tensile strength, flexural strength and Mode-I fracture toughness/fracture energy of Barre granite is investigated under a wide range of loading rates. Three sets of dynamic experimental methodologies have been developed using the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar system; Brazilian test to determine the tensile strength; semi-circular bend method to determine the flexural strength; and notched semi-circular bend method to determine the Mode-I fracture toughness and fracture energy. For all three tests, a simple quasi-static data analysis is employed to deduce the mechanical properties; the methodology is assessed critically against the isotropic Laurentian granite. It is shown that if dynamic force balance is achieved in SHPB, it is reasonable to use quasi-static formulas. The dynamic force balance is obtained by the pulse shaper technique. To study the anisotropy of these properties, rock blocks are cored and labeled using the three principal directions of Barre granite to form six sample groups. For samples in the same orientation group, the measured strengths/toughness shows clear loading rate dependence. More importantly, a loading rate dependence of the strengths/toughness anisotropy of Barre granite has been first observed: the anisotropy diminishes with the increase of loading rate. The reason for the strengths/toughness anisotropy can be understood with reference to the preferentially oriented microcracks sets; and the rate dependence of this anisotropy is qualitatively explained with the microcracks interaction. Two models abstracted from microscopic photographs are constructed to interpret the rate dependence of the fracture toughness anisotropy in terms of the crack/microcracks interaction. The experimentally observed rate dependence of the anisotropy is successfully reproduced.

Granitic rocks usually exhibit strongly anisotropy due to pre-existing microcracks induced by long-term geological loadings. The understanding of anisotropy in mechanical properties of rocks is critical to a variety of rock engineering applications. In this thesis, the anisotropy of tension-related failure parameters involving tensile strength, flexural strength and Mode-I fracture toughness/fracture energy of Barre granite is investigated under a wide range of loading rates. Three sets of dynamic experimental methodologies have been developed using the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar system; Brazilian test to determine the tensile strength; semi-circular bend method to determine the flexural strength; and notched semi-circular bend method to determine the Mode-I fracture toughness and fracture energy. For all three tests, a simple quasi-static data analysis is employed to deduce the mechanical properties; the methodology is assessed critically against the isotropic Laurentian granite. It is shown that if dynamic force balance is achieved in SHPB, it is reasonable to use quasi-static formulas. The dynamic force balance is obtained by the pulse shaper technique. To study the anisotropy of these properties, rock blocks are cored and labeled using the three principal directions of Barre granite to form six sample groups. For samples in the same orientation group, the measured strengths/toughness shows clear loading rate dependence. More importantly, a loading rate dependence of the strengths/toughness anisotropy of Barre granite has been first observed: the anisotropy diminishes with the increase of loading rate. The reason for the strengths/toughness anisotropy can be understood with reference to the preferentially oriented microcracks sets; and the rate dependence of this anisotropy is qualitatively explained with the microcracks interaction. Two models abstracted from microscopic photographs are constructed to interpret the rate dependence of the fracture toughness anisotropy in terms of the crack/microcracks interaction. The experimentally observed rate dependence of the anisotropy is successfully reproduced.

Hollow glass microspheres have been used extensively in the automotive and marine industries as an additive for reducing weight and saving material costs. They are also added to paints and other materials for their reflective properties. They have shown promise for weight critical applications, but have thus far resulted in materials with low fracture toughness and impact resistance when combined with thermosetting resins in syntactic foam. The advent of commercially available microspheres with a wide range of crushing strengths, densities and adhesive properties has given new impetus to research into syntactic foam with better fracture behaviour. Current research suggests that the beneficial effects on fracture and impact resistance gained by the addition of solid reinforcements such as rubber and ceramic particles are not seen with the addition of hollow glass microspheres. The research presented in this paper has examined the mechanisms for fracture resistance in glass microsphere filled epoxy (GMFE) syntactic foams, as well as determined the effect microsphere crushing strength and adhesion strength has on the material???s fracture toughness. The flexural properties of various GMFE have also been determined. GMFE were manufactured with varying microsphere volume fraction up to 50%, and with variances in microsphere crushing strength and adhesion. The specimens were tested for Mode I fracture toughness in a three point single edge notched bending setup as described in ASTM D5045 as well as a three point flexural setup as described in ASTM D790-3. Fracture surfaces were inspected using scanning electron microscope imaging to identify the fracture mechanisms in the presence of microspheres. Results indicate a positive effect on fracture toughness resulting from new fracture areas created as tails in the wake of the microspheres in the fracture plane. Results also indicate a negative effect on fracture toughness resulting from weak microspheres or from interfacial disbonding at the fracture plane. These two effects combine to show an increase in GMFE fracture toughness as the volume fraction of microspheres is increased to between 10 ??? 20% volume fraction (where the positive effect dominates), with a reduction in fracture toughness as microspheres are added further (where the negative effect dominates).

OBJECTIVES: To test and compare the effects of static and cyclic loading on fracture toughness (K1C) and microhardness of dental restorative CAD/CAM materials. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five commercially available CAD/CAM restorative materials were included in this study: Lava™ Ultimate Restorative (3M ESPE), IPS Empress® CAD (Ivoclar Vivadent), Enamic® (VITA), IPS e.max® CAD (Ivoclar Vivadent), and CERASMART™ (GC Dental). Polished rectangular bars 4×2×14 mm (n=30) were prepared from mill blocks for each material. Single notch of 0.5-1 mm in depth was made on the center of one length edge. Ten specimens per group for each material were randomly selected for 1) static mode, 2) after 100k cyclic loads, and 3) after 200k cyclic loads. The survival bars after the fatigue test were then subjected to a three-point flexural test. K1C values were determined on ‘single-edge-pre-crack-beams’ (SEPB) method. In addition, random specimens after the flexural test were selected for Vickers microhardness test from each group. Additionally indentation fracture method (IF) was used to determine surface fracture toughness for e.max CAD and Empress CAD. All the results were analyzed via ANOVA with Tukey’s HSD test or least square regression model using JMP Pro 12.0. RESULTS: The mean fracture toughness (K1C) of the material tested in static mode (3.2 MPa.m1/2 for e.max CAD, 2 MPa.m1/2 for Lava Ult, 1.95 MPa.m1/2 for Empress CAD, 1.92 MPa.m1/2 for Enamic, and 1.65 MPa.m1/2 for Cerasmart). The 100k fatigue group (4.02 MPa.m1/2 for e.max CAD, 3.06 MPa.m1/2 for Cerasmart, 2.55 MPa.m1/2 for Lava Ult, 2.01 MPa.m1/2 for Enamic, 1.94 MPa.m1/2 for Empress CAD) The 200k fatigue group (3.14 MPa.m1/2 for Cerasmart, 2.83 MPa.m1/2 for Lava Ult, 2.68 MPa.m1/2 for e.max CAD, 2.01 MPa.m1/2 for Enamic, 1.72 MPa.m1/2 for Empress CAD). While there was a significant difference in the mean fracture toughness (K1C) and (VHN) after fatigue of material tested (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The CAD/CAM materials tested exhibited a higher K1C values after cyclic loading, along with lower K1C compared to the static group. In addition, K1C values by IF method exhibit lower K1C values after fatigue that was not a good way to test the fracture toughness value. / 2018-09-28T00:00:00Z