Experimental and numerical investigation of the mixed-mode delamination in Arcan laminated specimens

This paper investigates mixed-mode interlaminar fracture behaviour in woven carbon fibre/polyetherimide (CF/PEI) thermoplastic composite material based on experimental and numerical analyses. Experiments were conducted on modified Arcan specimens using the special test loading device. By varying the loading angle from 0° to 90°, pure mode-I, pure mode-II and a wide range of mixed-mode data were obtained experimentally. Using the finite-element results, correction factors were applied to the CF/PEI fracture specimen. By employing experimentally measured critical loads and the aid of the finite-element method, mixed-mode interlaminar fracture toughness for the composite under consideration determined. The failure response of CF/PEI composite was compared to the different mixed-mode failure criteria, and the best criterion was selected. The fracture surfaces of the CF/PEI composite under different mixed-mode loading conditions were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy to gain insight into the failure responses.