Effect of ply thickness on transverse crack initiation in CFRP cross-ply laminates under fatigue loading

The effect of ply thickness on the formation of first transverse crack caused in cross-ply carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates was evaluated under fatigue loading. In addition, the initiation process of the transverse crack was observed with an atomic force microscopy (AFM) in detail. The formation of the first transverse crack was evaluated quantitatively with the power law between the transverse crack density growth rate and the normalized energy release rate range associated with transverse crack formation. The analytical results showed good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, from the analytical results with the cross-ply [0/906]s and [02/9012]s laminates, it was shown that the fatigue life to the formation of the first transverse crack in [0/906]s is approximately 100 times longer than that in [02/9012]s. Furthermore, as the results observed the process of the transverse crack initiation with AFM, it was cleared that matrix resins around fibers were uplifted on the laminate edge surface due to cyclic loading. The observation results indicate that the micro cracks are initiated at the interface between fiber and matrix resin by the stress concentration due to the uplift of matrix resins, that the micro cracks grow to the thickness direction in 90° plies with concatenating the interfacial cracks and that the transverse crack is formed finally.