Mechanical behaviour of the fibre/matrix interface in glass- and carbon fibre composites and fibre/matrix interfacial properties on the macroscopic behaviour of composites.
This Framework Programme: "Interface design of composite materials" aims to establish
(i) characterisation and modelling tools for mechanical behaviour of the fibre/matrix interface in glass-and carbon fibre composites and
(ii) an improved understanding of how the chemistry of the fibre matrix interface influences the macroscopic behaviour of composites.
The knowledge gained can be used to design better composites with improved the mechanical properties by controlling fibre surface modifications (chemical and topological). The research programme comprises both experiment and modelling, ranging from nanoscale interface properties to macroscale material properties. The idea is to characterize the mechanical behaviour of the fibre/matrix interface at the microscale in terms of some well-defined mechanical laws, which we call the interface laws. The failure process zone at the interface crack tip will be characterized in terms of a cohesive laws and frictional sliding will be characterized in terms of friction laws.
The expertise of the consortium includes advanced surfaced modification and characterization equipment, modelling at the molecular level, characterization of microstructures, characterization of fracture mechanics and modelling of damage development.
The Frame Work Programme, which is partly funded by the Danish Technical Research Council (STVF), fund no. 26-03-0160, runs from 1. January 2004 to 31. December 2007.
The interface law represents the mechanical response of the interface (chemistry, surface roughness) by connecting surfaces at the microscale. The composite law is used at macroscale to represent the interaction between the discrete fibre, matrix and crack in a continuum model where the composite is treated as a homogenised anisotropic continuum.