Prediction of fatigue resistance of short-fibre-reinforced polymers

Static and cyclic 4-point bending tests were conducted on glass-filled polycarbonate, to collect results for evaluation of a theoretical model on its capability to predict the fatigue life and the residual strength after the cyclic loading. The study quantifies the effects of loading conditions, i.e. the stress ratio and the maximum stress level, on the damage development. The paper demonstrates the possibility of expressing each of the model parameters as a function of single variable that is stress ratio, maximum stress level, or a material-dependent constant.