LITERATURE-REVIEW - EFFECTS OF HYDROSTATIC-PRESSURE ON THE MECHANICAL-BEHAVIOR OF COMPOSITE-MATERIALS

Hydrostatic pressure can cause significant changes in the mechanical p roperties of composite materials. A thorough understanding of these ef fects is essential for the effective design of composite structures fo r high-pressure applications. In this report, the literature on the ef fects of hydrostatic pressure on the mechanical behavior of composite materials is reviewed. This includes a general description of the effe cts of hydrostatic pressure on unreinforced polymers and a detailed cr itique of the experimental work that has been done on composite materi als. The section on composites is divided into three sections: compres sive, tensile, and shear testing. For each type of testing, the test m aterials and techniques and the physical and quantitative results are discussed.