New micromechanical experimental approach for the characterization of fibre-matrix adhesion in composite materials

The evaluation of interfacial adhesion between fibres and matrix in composi te materials can be approached by the use of micromechanical tests such as the pull-out test. One of the principal limits of this experimental techniq ue is that it makes possible to obtain only one average value of the interf acial shear stress and that an extrapolation is generally necessary to obta in the maximum value of this stress. In this paper, we propose a new techni que bf characterisation based on the use of DMA. The geometry of the sample s remains the same as the one used for the pull-out, but it allows to consi derably limit the number of samples necessary for the measurement of a para meter characteristic of adhesion. At the present time, the pull-out techniq ue by DMA has many advantages compared to the conventional pull-out test: e lastomeric matrices can be investigated with great reliability, and the com posite samples can be classified according to their interfacial stress tran sfer ability. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.