Abstract

The study of the matrix/inter-fibre failure at micromechanical level by means of numerical methods predicts the appearance of differents stages in the development of this mechanism of damage; these numerical studies have also allowed the main features of each stage (such as the debond length at the interface and the kinking angle) to be identified. The development of experimental studies aiming to check the relevance of the aforementioned numerical results, the validity of the hypotheses assumed, as well as the identification of additonal parameters, is crucial for the advance in the knowledge of this mechanism of damage. Based on this, the research shown in this work focused on the tensile test (under different loading levels) of specimens manufactured from carbon-epoxy cross-ply symmetrical laminates. The microscopical observation of the 90º laminae of the tested samples, first results in the analysis of the appearance of the transverse cracks as a function of the load. Second, the study concentrates in the identification of the previously numerically predicted stages of the mechanism of damage and the measurement of key  parameters such as the debond length, the kinking path and the influence of nearby fibres.