Model composites comprised of alternate layers of steel plates and epoxy ad
hesive have been tested in compression. The early stages of microbuckle gro
wth were captured on video, confirming the mechanisms of initiation and gro
wth assumed by theoretical models of plastic microbuckling for compressive
failure of long-fibre engineering composites. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevie
r Science Ltd. on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc.