ANALYSIS OF STRESS AND DISPLACEMENT-FIELDS IN INTERLAMINAR-TOUGHENED COMPOSITE LAMINATES WITH TRANSVERSE CRACKS

In recent years, to enhance the interlaminar fracture toughness of CFR P laminates, interlaminar-toughened laminates have been developed in w hich resin rich layers are placed in interlaminar regions. in the pres ent study, stress and displacement fields in interlaminar-toughened cr oss-ply laminates with transverse cracks are analyzed. The analysis is based on a two-dimensional model which assumes that generalized plane strain conditions prevail. Account is taken of thermal residual stres ses arising from a mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients of the 0 degrees ply, interlaminar resin and 90 degrees ply. The analytical re sults are shown for the laminates with interlaminar resin layers of va rious thicknesses. The analysis will be a basis for the optimal design of laminates with interlaminar resin layers.