Damage And Failure Of Composite Materials

During recent years there has been substantial development in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms leading to damage development and failure of composite materials. This book is the first of it's kind to address this maturing field, combining materials science with mechanics to provide the reader with a modern account of significant advancements in experimental and modeling techniques. The authors explore the nature of composite damage in a coherent and comprehensive manner, detailing the mechanics and models for each failure mode. Although the treatment of the subject is largely generic, specific examples are drawn upon with respect to polymer, ceramic and metal matrix composite. The book will be an invaluable guide for graduate students on materials science and engineering courses, as well as being a useful reference tool for researchers and engineers in the manufacturing and design industries.

1. Introduction; 2. Damage and failure-mechanisms and definitions; 3. Fatigue mechanisms; 4. Modeling of damage; 5. Damage mechanics; 6. Damage evolution and fatigue life prediction; 7. Materials aspects- polymer matrix composites; 8. Structural aspects-notched composites; 9. Fatigue testing.