Degradation mechanism of short-fibre reinforced polyamide due to unaxial fatigue loading evaluated by non-destructive testing and fractography
- The damage process of short glass fibre (30% weight) reinforced polyamide caused by mechanical loading was investigated from the beginning on micro cracking level to the incipient crack of mm-dimension. Based on high resolution computer tomography and the X-ray-refraction technique the inner surface due to micro-cracking at the short fibre ends and the fibre matrix debonding of the skin surface of the filament was determined quantitatively. With the knowledge of the fatigue crack propagation rate and fracture toughness of the material from former research projects, it was derived that the total inner surface due to micro cracks measured by X-ray refraction is much higher than the specimen could have withstand the load, supposed the surface is in a localized crack. Hence, the damage process could be described from micro to macro level. Accompanying fractographic investigations endorse the modelling based on the NDT-techniques.