2008-09

REVEALING OF FAILURE MODES OF FRP

COMPOSITE BY MICROSCOPIC
TECHNIQUE
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF

Bachelor of Technology
in
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

By
SUSMIT KUMAR DEB
&
CHIRANJEEVEE

Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

National Institute of Technology
Rourkela

1
REVEALING OF FAILURE MODES OF FRP
COMPOSITE BY MICROSCOPIC
TECHNIQUE
A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF

Bachelor of Technology
in
Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

By
SUSMIT KUMAR DEB
&
CHIRANJEEVEE

Under the Guidance of

Prof. B.C.RAY

Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

National Institute of Technology
Rourkela

2
 National Institute of Technology
Rourkela

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the thesis entitled, “REVEALING OF FAILURE MODES OF FRP

COMPOSITES BY MICROSCOPIC TECHNIQUES” submitted by SUSMIT KUMAR DEB

AND CHIRANJEEVEE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of

Technology Degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the National Institute of

Technology, Rourkela (Deemed University) is an authentic work carried out by him under my

supervision and guidance.

To the best of my knowledge, the matter embodied in the thesis has not been submitted to any

other University / Institute for the any Degree or Diploma.

Date:

Prof. B.C.RAY

Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engg.

National Institute of Technology
Rourkela-769008

3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We record our sincere gratitude to Prof. B.C.RAY, Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials

Engineering for assigning us the project “Revealing of failure modes of FRP composite by

microscopic technique”. It is not possible to acknowledge sufficiently his important contribution

of talent and time given unselfishly in proceeding with this work.

We wish to record our gratitude to our project coordinators Prof. A.K.Panda and

Prof. S.Sarkar for helping us at each and every step in bringing out this report.

We are also thankful to Prof. U.K.Mohanty, Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials

Engineering for permitting us to access the SEM. We would also like to thank Mr. Sameer

Pradhan and Mr. Rajesh Pattnaik of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Dept. for helping

us throughout our project work.

Susmit Kumar Deb

Chiranjeevee

B.Tech

Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

4
 ABSTRACT

Fiber-reinforced composite materials are used extensively in stiffness critical, weight

sensitive structures such as those found in aerospace and motor racing where

strength to weight ratio is very much important. They are characterized by high in-

plane strength, stiffness and toughness and low density. The environmental effect on

the FRP (fiber reinforced polymer) and the subsequent failure has lead to

emphasize on the study of different fracture surfaces. The presence of moisture and

the stresses associated with the moisture induced expansion may cause lowering of

damage tolerance and structural durability. In case of water absorption there are

both reversible and irreversible changes in the mechanical properties of the

thermoset polymers. Delamination between layers is an important problem in

applications of fiber reinforced composite laminates. This paper is an attempt to

study the cracked surface and reveal the failure mechanism that has occurred using

microscopic techniques. By observing carefully the fracture surface of the

composite, the factors affecting their respective failure and the type of environment

they were subjected to could be determined. SEM micrographs of the fractured

surfaces of glass/epoxy and jute/epoxy composites under various environmental

conditions were studied revealing the failure modes (delamination sites, debonding,

fiber pullout regions, crack propagation front, striations and bubble bursting in the

matrix). AFM micro graphs were studied to give a precise outlook of the behavior of

composites to the changing environmental conditions being exposed to such as

moisture absorption etc.

5
 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. OVERVIEW 2
1.2. THE MATERIALS 6
2. LITERATURE SURVEY 9
2.1. COMPOSITE 10
2.2. FIBRE REINFORCED COMPOSITE 11
2.3. THE INTERFACE 12
2.4. MECHANISM OF BONDING 12
2.5. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 14
2.6. FAILURE ANALYSIS 17
3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE 25
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 27
4.1 SEM ANALYSIS 28
4.2 AFM ANALYSIS 39
5. CONCLUSION 42
6. SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK 44
7. REFERENCES 46

6
1. INTRODUCTION

7
1.1 OVERVIEW:

Fibre composites were originally developed for the aerospace industry and
have found their way into a much wider range of applications including
transportation, sports, medical science and more recently the building and
construction industries.

The application of the fibre composites in the construction industries has

created opportunities for a new and innovative approach to structures that
have undergone little change over the past. The unique mechanical and
chemical characteristics of the fibre composites combine to challenge the
supremacy of conventional materials such as steels, timber and concrete
particularly in areas that are weight and corrosion sensitive.

A major advantage of GFRPs is that composite properties can be optimized

for a specific application by varying the design factors [1], such as fibre
volume content, fibre architecture, type of resin, and the chemical nature of
the sizing applied to the surface of the fibre.

A composite consists of fibres embedded in or bonded in the matrix with

distinct interfaces between the constituent phases. The fibres are usually of
high strength and modulus and serve as the principal load carrying members.
The matrix must keep the fibres in a desires location and orientation,
separating fibres from each other to avoid mutual abrasion during periodic
straining of the composites. The matrix acts as the load transfer medium
between fibres. The matrix is more ductile than the fibres so also it is the
source of composite toughness.
8
Fibres, in general, possess higher tensile strengths compared to the tensile
strengths of the same material in the bulk form which is due to one or more
of the following reasons:

(a) Absence of defects of a critical size,

(b) Non-equilibrium structures obtained during preparation of fibres,
(c) Orientation of molecules along the fibre direction in the case of
molecularly anisotropic materials like polymers, and
(d) Favorable residual stresses introduced during the fibre manufacturing
process.

The higher strength of materials when they are converted to fibres has been
the main driving force behind the development of composites. Further the
glass fibre composites will also have other desirable properties like greater
resistance to impact damage.

A design life of 10–50 years is required for important areas of application of

Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) which include the automotive and
aeronautical industry, bridge structures, and water and waste systems and
more recently in the offshore exploration and oil production. These areas of
applications require a better study of effect of temperature (both high and
low), moisture, humidity, various loading rates and other environmental
effects on fibre composites.

9
 The main advantages of composites are:
o To increase stiffness, strength or dimensional stability
o To increase mechanical damping
o To increase toughness (impact strength)
o To modify electrical properties
o To reduce costs
o To increase chemical wear and corrosion resistance
o To improve design flexibility

The light weight of the composites brings down the fuel consumption dramatically
thereby increasing the overall engine efficiency. That is why composite materials
are making inroads in aero and auto industries.

FRP composite structures are often subjected to out of plane loads during
manufacturing and service conditions. In such cases, layered composites suffer
severely by delamination cracking because of poor interlaminar fracture
resistance. On further loading, the interlaminar crack propagates and thus
weakens the structure [3]. By introducing small amount of fibers in the
thickness direction of the laminate, the damage tolerance and suppression of
delamination crack initiation or rate of interlaminar crack growth can be
enhanced. Interface between reinforcing fibers and matrix is believed to play an
important role in composite properties. The effectiveness of load transfer at the
interface depends upon the extent of chemical and mechanical bonding. The
mechanical behavior of a composite material is decisively controlled by the
fiber-matrix interface. Its properties influence the integrity of composite

10
 behavior because of its role in transferring stress between the fiber and the
matrix.

Fibrous composites are increasingly being used in many applications owing to

various desirable properties including high specific strength, high specific stiffness
and controlled anisotropy. But unfortunately polymeric composites are susceptible
to heat and moisture when operating in changing environmental conditions. They
absorb moisture in humid environments and undergo dilatational expansion. The
presence of moisture and stresses associated with moisture-induced expansion may
cause lowered damage tolerance and structural durability. The structural integrity
and life time performance of fibrous polymeric composites are strongly dependent
on the stability of the fiber/polymer interfacial region. The environmental action,
such as high moisture and high temperature can limit the usefulness of polymer
composites by deteriorating mechanical properties during service.

For all the wonderful properties that are possessed by the composites they have a
major drawback. There is a degradation of material property during its service life
as it is often subjected to environments of severe changing parameters.

11
1.2 THE MATERIALS:

1.2.1 THE FIBRES:

(a). GLASS FIBRES-

There are basically five varieties of glass fibres used in composites4. These
are E-glass, S-glass, R-glass, AR-glass and Z-glass (zirconia containing
glass fibres). E-glass fibres are by far the most widely used glass fibres.
These are used in resin matrix composite for structural and electrical
applications. S-glass and R-glass fibres have superior mechanical properties
than E-glass fibres. They are generally used in Defenses and aeronautical
applications. AR- and Z-glass fibres possess good resistance to alkaline
environments and are generally used as reinforcements in cement matrix
composites.

(b). CARBON FIBRES-

Carbon fibres are prepared by carbonization of a precursor fibre in inert

atmospheres at high temperatures (1600 to 2200 °C). The precursor can be
an organic polymer fibre like rayon or polyacrylonitrile, or it can be
petroleum or coal tar pitch fibre. The structure and properties of carbon
fibres depend on the nature of the precursor and the conditions of
carbonization. Carbon fibres from rayon precursors do not possess high
strength. The tensile strength of these fibres can be improved by employing
a high temperature stretch graphitization. This is mainly due to the fact that

12
cellulose materials yield lower percentage of carbon on heat treatment
resulting in higher porosity. The carbon obtained on heat treatment of
cellulose is glassy carbon which is difficult to graphitize.

Pitch-based carbon fibres have structures very close to that of graphite. Pitch
being a mixture of a variety of high molecular weight compounds made up
of fused benzene rings, yields soft carbons which graphitize readily at high
temperatures. The highly graphitized structure of pitch-based carbon fibres
results in high tensile modulus of the fibres. Because of the high modulus,
the fibres become extremely sensitive to the presence of defects. Thus the
strength of the pitch-based fibres are primarily determined by the number
and criticality (size) of the flaws. The critical size of the flaw in high
modulus pitch-based fibres is estimated to be around 45 to 60 nm.

(c). ARAMID FIBRES-

Aramid fibres are synthetic organic fibres prepared from aromatic

polyamides. These are high strength and high modulus fibres with properties
suitable for use in composite materials.

13
1.2.2. THE MATRIX-

The materials used for matrix are epoxy, unsaturated polyester and vinyl
ester. Epoxy resins are the most common matrices for high performance
advanced polymer composites, but they are also inherently brittle because of
there high degree of cross linking. The densely cross linked structures are
the basis of superior mechanical properties such as high modulus, high
fracture strength, and solvent resistance. However, these materials are
irreversively damaged by high stresses due to the formation and propagation
of cracks. These lead to dangerous loss in the load-carrying capacity of
polymeric structural engineering materials. Currently the unsaturated
polyesters are the most widely used polymer in construction. These are easy
to process with the ability to manufacture a good quality product; they are an
ambient temperature cured material. However, the increase in styrene
content in the unsaturated polyesters results in significant microcracking in
resin rich areas and high residual stresses in composites having high volume
fractions. Generally the Vinyl esters have good wetting characteristics and
bond well to glass fibers. They possess resistance to strong acids and strong
alkalis and they can be processed at both room and elevated temperatures.
Compared to polyesters, vinyl esters offer reduced water absorption and
shrinkage as well as enhanced chemical resistance. Incomplete cure can
result due to environmental conditions, incorrect stoichiometric of resin
system components, or the failure to reach a sufficient temperature of cure.
This state can adversely affect mechanical properties, moisture absorption
and susceptibility to moisture induced degradation of the resin and the fiber
matrix interface.

14
2. LITERATURE SURVEY

15
 2.1. COMPOSITES-

A composite is combination of two materials in which one of the materials, called

the reinforcing phase, is in the form of fibers, sheets, or particles, and is embedded
in the other materials called the matrix phase. The reinforcing material and the
matrix material can be metal, ceramic, or polymer.
The following are some of the reasons why composites are selected for certain
applications:
 High strength to weight ratio (low density high tensile strength)
 High creep resistance
 High tensile strength at elevated temperatures
 High toughness

Typically, reinforcing materials are strong with low densities while the matrix is
usually a ductile, or tough, material. If the composite is designed and fabricated
correctly, it combines the strength of the reinforcement with the toughness of the
matrix to achieve a combination of desirable properties not available in any single
conventional material. The downside is that such composites are often more
expensive than conventional materials. The strength of the composite depends
primarily on the amount, arrangement and type of fiber (or particle) reinforcement
in the resin.

Three types of composites are:

 Particle-reinforced composites
 Fiber-reinforced composites
 Structural composites

16
2.2. FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITES:

Reinforcing fibers can be made of metals, ceramics and glasses. Fibers increase the
modulus of the matrix material. The strong covalent bond along the fiber‟s length
gives them a very high modulus in this direction because to break or extend the
fiber the bonds must also be broken or moved. Fibers are difficult to process into
composites which makes fiber reinforced composites relatively expensive. Body
parts of race cars and some automobiles are composites made of glass fibers (or
fiberglass) in a thermo set matrix. Applications involving totally multidirectional
applied stresses normally use discontinuous fibers, which are randomly oriented in
the matrix material. Consideration of orientation and fiber length for particular
composites depends on the level and nature of the applied stress as well as
fabrication cost.

Production rates for short-fiber composites (both aligned and randomly oriented)
are rapid, and intricate shapes can be formed which are not possible with
continuous fiber reinforcement.

17
2.3 THE INTERFACE-

The interface is the main field of interest when it comes to composites. The
integrity of the composite as a whole depends upon the ease and effectiveness with
which a load can be transferred within the composite. The interface is the boundary
across which load is transferred and is of so such importance.

2.4. THE MECHANISM OF BONDING-

The nature of bonding is not only dependent on the atomic arrangement, the
molecular conformation and chemical constituents of the fibre and the matrix but
also on the morphological properties of the fibre and the diffusivity of elements in
each constituent [3]. The interface is specific to each fibre-matrix system.

(a). Adsorption and wetting—

Good wetting of fibres by matrix materials during the impregnation stages of

fabrication is a prerequisite to proper consolidation of composites. Bonding due to
wetting involves very short range interactions of electrons on an atomic scale
which develop only when the atoms of the constituents approach within a few
atomic diameters or are in contact with each other. The surface energy of the
reinforcements in composites must be greater than that of the matrix resin for
proper wetting to take place.

18
(b). Interdiffusion—

A bond between two surfaces may be formed by the Interdiffusion of atoms or

molecules across the interface. A fundamental feature of the interdiffusion
mechanism is that there must exist a thermodynamic equilibrium between the two
constituents. The bond strength in the polymer composites will depend on the
amount of the molecular entanglement, the number of molecules involved and the
strength of the bonding between the molecules. This may be promoted by the
presence of solvents and the amount of interdiffusion will depend on the molecular
conformation, the constituents involved and the ease of molecular motion.

(c). Electrostatic attraction-

A difference in the electrostatic charge between constituents at the interface may

contribute to the force of attraction bonding. The strength of the interface will
depend on the charge density.

(d). Chemical bonding—

Chemical bonding method is based on the formation of a primary bond at the

interface. This type of adhesion is a two part process-the first part is the removal of
a weak layer from the fibre surface particularly at low levels of treatment and the
19
second part is chemical bonding at the sites. A bond is formed between a chemical
group on the fibre surface and another compatible chemical group in the matrix,
the formation of which results from usual thermally activated chemical reactions.

(e). Mechanical bonding—

Mechanical bonds involve solely mechanical interlocking at the fibre surface. It is

promoted by surface oxidation treatments which produce a large number of pits,
corrugation and large surface area of the carbon fibre is a significant mechanism of
bonding in carbon fibre polymer matrix.

2.5. The Environmental Conditions:

(a) Effect of moisture:

Most FRPs are likely to be exposed to rain, humidity and moisture or diffused
solutions through other substrates during their service life. It has been observed
that [12] water accumulated at the fibre matrix interface contributes significantly to
the loss of shear strength of the material. The ingress of water through the voids
present in a composite can cause plasticization of the matrix. Plasticization occurs
in a number of ways including reduction in the glass transition temperature of the
matrix, lowering of operating temperature and reduction in operating temperatures
and reduction in stiffness and strength properties. Particularly in case of glass
fibres, it leaches alkali oxides (sodium and potassium) from the fibre surface,
forms surface micro cracks, slow decomposition or dissolution of the glass fibre,
20
permanent loss of strength and this could even accelerate with increasing
temperature and stress level.

The presence of moisture at the interface can modify the interfacial adhesion
thereby affecting the mechanical properties of the FRP composites. Moisture
absorption in the composites introduces dilatational stresses [20]. During moisture
absorption, the outside ply of a composite laminate is in compression. This results
from the outer ply trying to swell, but being restrained by the dry inner plies.
Similarly, on desorption, the outer plies try to shrink, but are restrained by the wet
swollen inner plies. This results in tensile stresses in the outer plies. Consequently
the mechanical properties and long term durability show a marked deterioration.

(b) Effect of alkaline environments:

The alkaline solutions can cause degradation to the main constituents of the
composites. Particularly with bare glass fibres, a reaction with an alkaline solution
forms expansive silica gels. However the composite material as a whole show
superior performance and durability characteristics than more conventional
constructional materials. The use of a suitable polymeric resin for the matrix
becomes thus an important criterion to save the fibres from such attack providing a
protective barrier.

21
(c) Effect of UV radiation:

Solar UV radiation is deleterious to organic materials. The wavelength of the rays

that reach the earth‟s surface almost coincides with the dissociation energy of most
polymers. On prolonged exposure of the composite to the sunrays, the matrix
hardens and colour change and pigment loss can also occur. But they are
constricted to the top few layers only.

(d) Effect of cryogenic conditions:

Cryogenic temperature is the state of utmost low temperature. The FRP composites
are adversely affected by such a low temperature. The matrix hardens and the
difference in the elastic modulus between the fibre and the matrix creates an
environment of residual stresses to be developed in the matrix. The fibres do not
allow the matrix to contract as they are in close contact. The failure of the matrix is
hence a prominent observable phenomenon.

(e) Effect of acidic treatment:

In case of FRP composites when subjected to acidic treatment, it was found that
the inter laminar shear strength was decreased when exposed to concentrated acidic
solution due to the stress corrosion cracking of the laminates as well as the micro
cracks developed in the matrix [9]. The amount of water absorbed by the matrix
was though lesser for high concentration acidic solution. Further as the cross head
speed was decreased, the stress induced cracks were found to be low as more time
is now available for redistribution of load.

22
2.6. THE FAILURE ANALYSIS:

Fractographic techniques can be used to study micro-mechanisms of fracture,

investigate of failure in laboratory structures, and post-mortem investigation of in-
service components. The basic approach is to characterize the fracture
morphologies of specimens failed under known (pure) failure modes, and then
compare these morphologies to 'unknown' failures.

In composites the main causes of failure can be:

(a) Breaking of fibers.
(b) Debonding (separation of fibers &matrix).
(c) Microcracking of the matrix.
(d) Delamination.

Fracture modes in composites can be divided into three basic fracture types
a) Interlaminar, b) Intralaminar, c) Translaminar

When considered on microscale, interlaminar and intralaminar fracture types can

be similarly described. In both cases, fracture occurs on a plane parallel to that of
the fiber reinforcement. In a similar manner to that described for metals ,fracture of
either type can occur under mode I tension ,mode II in-plane shear, mode III anti-
plane shear, or any combination of these load conditions. Translaminar fractures
are those oriented transverse to the laminated plane in which conditions of fiber
fractures are generated.
23
 Fig 1. Crack opening modes.

(a) DELAMINATION:

Delamination is a critical failure mode in composite structures, not necessarily

because it will cause the structure to break into two or more pieces, but because it
can degrade the laminate to such a degree that it becomes useless in service. The
interfacial separation caused by the delamination may lead to premature buckling
of the laminate, excessive vibration, intrusion of moisture, stiffness degradation
and loss of fatigue life [10]. The delamination though in some cases may provide
stress relief and actually enhance the performance of the component.

Delamination may be introduced during processing or in service conditions. It may

result from low velocity impact, from eccentricities in the structural load path or
from discontinuities in the structures which may induce a large out of plane stress.

24
Even in the absence of such discontinuities delamination may also result from in
plane compressive loading causing global or local buckling.

In addition to mechanical loads, the moisture and temperature may also induce
interlaminar stresses in a laminate. These may be the results from the residual
thermal stresses caused from cooling from processing temperatures and residual
stresses created by the absorption of moisture. The delamination may lead to
redistribution of stresses which would eventually promote gross failure.

Individual modes of energy release rate along the delamination front are calculated
based on the Irwin‟s concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics and subsequent
developments by Rybicki and Kanninen, due to the superimposed thermo-
mechanical loading. The energy released by a self-similar propagation of a crack of
length „a‟ to that of a + Δa due to a sequential thermo-mechanical loading is
nothing but the work required to close the crack from a + Δa length to „a‟. For the
crack growth configuration as shown in fig.2, the strain energy released associated
with the delamination extension is equal to the work required to close the
incremental crack.

where the subscripts „M‟ and „T‟ represent respectively the mechanical and
thermal effects of the denoted parameters. δ(x − Δa) is the crack opening
displacement between the top and bottom delaminated surface and σ(x) is the stress
at the crack front required to close the delaminated area.

25
For a straight-edged crack front, the curvature plane and normal is constant
everywhere. So mode definition is intuitive and constant for the entire front. Then
the energy rate is calculated as [5]:

The three components of strain energy release rates for Mode I, Mode II, and
Mode III respectively are:

Fig 2. Schematic representation of a crack front.

26
(b) FIBRE PULL OUT AND DEBONDING:

Fig 3. Crack tip showing local failure events.

At some distance ahead of the crack the fibers are intact. In the high stress region
near the tip, they are broken, not necessarily along the crack plane. Immediately
behind the crack tip fibers pull out of the matrix. In some composites the stress
near the crack tip could cause the fibers to debond from the matrix before they
break. When brittle fibres are well bonded to a ductile matrix, the fibers tend to
snap ahead of the crack tip, leaving bridges of matrix material that neck down and
fracture in a completely ductile manner. In addition to these local failure
mechanisms, on reaching the interface of the two laminate in a laminated

27
composite, a crack can split and propagate along the interface, thus producing the
delamination crack.

The most significant property improvement in fibre reinforced composites is that

of fracture toughness. Toughness is quantified in terms of the energy absorbed per
unit crack extension and thus any process which absorbs energy at the crack tip can
give rise to an increase in toughness. In metallic matrices, plastic deformation
requires considerable energy and so metals are intrinsically tough. In fibre
reinforced materials with both brittle fibres and brittle matrices, toughness is
derived from two sources. Firstly, if the crack can be made to run up and down
every fibre in its path the there will be a large amount of new surface created for a
very small increase in crack area perpendicular to the maximum principal stress -
INTERFACIAL ENERGY - and in order to get the fibres to break they have to be
loaded to their fracture strength and this often requires additional local elastic
work, and secondly if the fibres do not break and therefore bridge the gap then
work must be done to pull the fibres out of the matrix - FIBRE PULLOUT[23].
Using simple geometric models we can estimate the contribution of each of these
processes to the overall toughness of the composite.

Fig 5 showing a crack front

28
W is the work done in pulling out a single fibre is the integration of f(x)dx over a
distance l0.

The total work done in extending the unit crack area is:

The symbols here denote usual meanings unless stated.

The longest fibre that can be pulled out is the critical fibre length, l c, which in turn
depends on the fibre fracture strength, s f. Thus a combination of strong fibres in a
relatively weak fibre/matrix interface gives the best toughness.

29
(c) MATRIX MICROCRACKING:

The first form of damage in laminates is often matrix micro cracking. They are
intralaminar or ply cracks that traverse the thickness of the ply and run parallel
to the fibres of the ply. The most common observable micro cracking is
cracking in the 900 plies during axial loading in the 00 direction. These micro
cracks are transverse to the loading direction and are often termed as the
transverse cracks. Micro cracks may be observed during tensile loading, during
fatigue loading, during changes in temperature and during thermo cycling.
Micro cracks can form in any plies but predominantly they are found implies
off axis to the loading axis. The immediate effect of the micro cracks is to cause
degradation in the thermo mechanical properties of the laminate including
changes in all effective modules, Poisson‟s ratio and thermal expansion
coefficients. Another detrimental effect of the micro cracks is that they nucleate
other forms of damage such as induction of delamination, fibre breakage or
provide pathways for the entry of corrosive liquids. Such damage modes may
subsequently lead to laminate failure.

The first micro crack causes very little changes in the thermo mechanical
properties of the laminate. Continued loading however normally leads to
additional micro cracks and additional micro cracks and continued degradation
in the thermo mechanical properties. A change in temperature induces residual
stresses between the plies and hence can lead to micro cracking. Due to the
presence of moisture as well can induce residual stresses that can subsequently
influence micro cracks.

30
3. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

31
The samples were collected from the laboratory of the Guide. The samples
were already fabricated, conditioned and tested.

Fabrication was mainly done by hand lay out process using glass and jute
fibres with epoxy as the main resin to be used as matrix.

The conditions include:

o Cryogenic treatment at a temperature of 77K for different time cycles
and different crosshead speeds.
o Hygrothermal treatment at 600C at a humidity level for 25 hrs.
o Ambient temperature.
o Ultraviolet rays treated for different crosshead speeds.

The samples were then taken for the SEM analysis for the study of fracture
morphology. The surfaces to be examined were cleaned and baked for 2 hrs
at a temperature of 500C for removing any moisture or dirt that might be
present.

The samples were taken for a brief AFM analysis. It was mainly done for the
testing of the effect of moisture absorption on the samples.

32
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

33
4.1. SEM ANALYSIS:

(a) Glass Fibre Composites:

Fig 6(a).

The glass fibre composite in fig (a) has shown enormous amount of fibre
pull out. This was mainly because of the weak adhesive bonding between the
constituent glass fibre and the epoxy resin matrix. The fabrication process
that was used could be the reason for uneven distribution of the stress being
applied. The prominent reasons could be those to be present during the
curing process as well as the weak interfacial bonds between the constituent
phases.

34
The fig 6 (b) shows the weak bonding between the matrix and the fibres for
glass fibre epoxy composite. It shows the cracking of the matrix as well as
the debonding between both the phases. This could be due to the residual
stress present while curing as well as due to the fabrication techniques used.
Small amount of moisture if present can reduce the bond strength between
the phases resulting in differential strain which is created by the expansion
force exerted by the liquid while stretching polymeric chains and induce
addition residual stresses.

Fig 6 (b).

35
Fig 6(c).

The fig 6(c) shows the large extent of the fibre fracture. The amount of stress
being applied was unable to be sustained by the fibres when distributed on
them by the matrix due to the inability of the formation of strong interfacial
bonds. The glass fibres were in aptly held by the matrix which was followed
by the rupture of the fibres which may be due to the localized stress and
strain fields in the fibrous composite.

36
Fig 6(d).

The fig 6(d) shows the propagation of a delaminated crack front along the
interface. This could be a result of the manufacturing defects, the generated
out of plane stresses and also the laminate geometry. There are as well a
large number of striations being seen as smooth lines on the matrix. The
damage may begin with the formation of striations/microscopic cracks
(crazing) in the matrix or at the fibre/matrix interface. When these cracks
develop to a certain density and size, they tend to coalesce to form
macroscopic matrix cracks.

37
Fig 6(e).

The fig 6(e) shows the bursting of matrix due to the sudden collapse of any
entrapped water molecule. The low molecular weight impurities formed by
water absorption may migrate from the bulk of the adhesives to form a weak
boundary layer at or near the interface. Matrix micro cracking may also lead
to such a burst.

38
(b) JUTE FIBRE:

Even in case of jute fibre cryogenetically treated for 3 hrs, one could see the
large amount of matrix fracture and micro cracking [fig 7 (a)] which may be
due to brittleness of the epoxy resin at low temperature leading to nucleation
of delamination cracks in the weak fiber-matrix interface.

An appreciable amount of fibre pullout is also observed during such

treatment [fig 7(b)]. There is a debonding due to the formation of complex
stresses set up as a result of stiffening of the matrix or mismatch of the
coefficient of thermal expansion of fibre and matrix. The ILSS is decreased.

In case of jute fibre composite being alkali treated, there is also appreciable
amount of fibre pullout [fig 8 (a)] due to the absorption of the alkali in form
of solution which may render the jute fibres to be weak as compared to the
matrix on preferential absorption of the alkali solution and hence on loading
they may not be able to bear the stress generated. At such low temperatures,
there is brittle failure of the epoxy matrix.

Fig 8 (b) shows the delamination crack fronts running across the interface
meeting the weak interfacial bonds where shear failure takes place. The
stress transfer efficiency from matrix to the fibres decreased due to decrease
in ILSS.

39
40
Fig 7 (a) and (b). SEM of cryogenic treated jute fibre composite.

41
Fig 8 (a) and (b). SEM of alkali treated jute fibre composite.

Fig 9 (a). SEM of untreated jute fibre composite.

The fig 9 (a) shows the large number of striations through the matrix caused
by the fatigue of the sample. These small cracks join under appreciable
energy favored kinetics to form larger cracks to lead to further failure of the
matrix.

In case of jute fibre alkali treated under various crosshead speeds, it was
observed in fig 10 (a) and (b) that fibre pullout was prominent among all the
speeds of 2, 50 and 100 m/sec. and the extent increased with increasing
speed.

42
Fig 10(a) and (b). SEM of alkali treated jute fibre composite for 2m/sec and
100 m/sec cross head speed.

43
The results for untreated jute fibre composite show that there is fibre pullout
as well but the extent were comparatively less as in fig 11 (a). The matrix is
shown to crack in the tranlaminar direction across the interface.

Fig 11(a). SEM of untreated jute fibre composite.

44
4.2. AFM ANALYSIS:

Fig 12 (a) and (b). AFM analysis for glass fibre composite in untreated and
hygrothermally treated respectively.

45
The contrast in the images clearly indicates the swelling of the matrix due to
moisture absorption. The rings are more prominently seen with fig 12 (b)
which might be attributed to the moisture absorbed. The possible
explanation is the plasticization of the matrix due to the moisture effect
which facilitates the movement of glass fibres to better orientations. These
changes seem to concentrate at the interface area which further implies that
degradation of the composite is likely to occur at these interfaces.
The region between the brighter fibre phase and the dull matrix phase is a
region of interphase (rather then the conventional interface) which is an area
of altogether different chemical and mechanical nature. The chemical
reactions taking place between the matrix and the fibre leads to a differential
chemistry of the interphase formed. One could also see the layered structure
of the matrix near the interface due to preferential moisture absorption by
the matrix.

46
Fig 13 (a), (b) showing untreated and hygrothermally treated carbon fibre.

In case of carbon fibre composite as well there is a contrast in the images

showing pronounced matrix and fibres. The weak interfacial bond strength

47
between carbon fibres and epoxy matrix results in the initiation of
interlaminar failure and/or propagation of cracks through this layer.

48
5. CONCLUSION

49
Durability and long life of FRP composites have been major area of concern.
Several models have been developed to explain service failures of composites
.However heterogeneous nature of FRP makes the process quite cumbersome. In
the present work it‟s been tried to explain the failure mechanism actually occurring
in the tested samples on the basis of established theories through SEM
fractographs. Fracture behavior depends on factors, such as, resin relaxation, state
of interfaces, post-curing phenomena, stresses relaxation and development, crazing
and cracking in the matrix resin and also micro-void formation because of
differential contraction/expansion among constituent phases. They also give
information about mode of failure and specific response of composite to particular
type of loading. By observing carefully the fracture surface of the composite. the
factors affecting their respective failure and the type of environment they were
subjected to could be determined.

50
6. SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK

51
Over the last forty years the FRP composites have found widespread
applications as an important structural material over their metallic
counterparts. However their increasing use in automobile and aerospace
industries has also made their durability in the exposed atmosphere a reason
of concern. Plasticization and swelling are among the adverse consequences
of absorbed water when a composite is exposed to humid atmosphere in
operation. The study of the performance of such parts under the effect of the
conditions has made the failure analysis of such utility. The FRP composites
can be damaged in a number of ways say for example interlaminar,
intralaminar or translaminar or a mixed mode of failure. Hence the
fractographic study of such materials is so very important. The failure modes
can be predicted and the designing can be made such that these can be
counteracted.

52
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