MICROBUCKLE PROPAGATION IN A UNIDIRECTIONAL CARBON FIBER-EPOXY MATRIXCOMPOSITE

Out-of-plane microbuckle growth is observed in a unidirectional carbon fibre-epoxy matrix composite under compressive loading. Experimental measurements of the overall kink-band width confirm that a growing mic robuckle propagates in a crack-like manner rather than in a dislocatio n-like manner. The microbuckle is modelled as a bridged Mode I crack w ith compressive bridging tractions. A large scale bridging model with a crack tip toughness and a constant bridging stress is successful in correlating the length and width of a growing microbuckle with the rem ote stress. Crown copyright (C) 1996