Papers by Author: Hiroyuki Kawada

Abstract: The energy absorbing performance in the progressive failure of glass long-fiber-reinforced polyamide was evaluated by using the split Hopkinson pressure-bar method. An impact compression test of glass long-fiber-reinforced polyamide was performed from –30 °C to 90 °C, and the temperature-independent energy absorbing performance was confirmed only for the progressive failure mode. To clarify this phenomenon, compression tests, interlaminar compressive shear tests and mode-I fracture-toughness tests were conducted under static and impact conditions. The compression strength and the shear strength of all specimens decreased with an increase in temperature. The toughness improved with temperature. In addition to the mechanical tests, failure-mode analysis was performed by using a three-dimensional X-ray microscope to clarify the absorbing mechanism. From the above, it was concluded that the temperature-independent energy absorbing performance results from a balance of these mechanical properties against the temperature change.

Abstract: Present paper deals with the delayed fracture in woven GFRP underwater at elevated temperature. The tensile test of GFRP after water immersion was conducted to evaluate the residual strength ater immersion at various water temperatures. The residual strength of GFRP decreased with the increase in the water temperature and the immersion time. In fact, the transition in failure mode with water immersion was ascertained from SEM observation of the fracture surface. Additionally, creep test in air and under hot water at 95°C was conducted. The creep rupture time decreased drastically with water immersion, in contrast, creep rupture wasn’t observed from the creep test in air. It was clarified that the water immersion generated the transition in the failure mode of GFRP and therefore led to the acceleration of the strength degradation.

Abstract: An energy-based analysis has been developed to evaluate interfacial adhesion between fiber and matrix in a single fiber composite over the years. However, the value of the energy-based parameter, e.g. an energy release rate, depends on a stress distribution predicted by a model employed. In the case of carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) is significantly effective to validate the stress distribution predicted. The fragmentation tests with a model of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composite are performed, and LRS is used to detect a distribution of the fiber axial strain. An elasto-plastic shear-lag analysis methodology is employed, and a stress distribution is predicted under various approximations of s-s curve of the matrix resin and compared with the experimental results. Our recent energy-balance method, including an energy dissipation induced by plastic deformation around an interfacial debonding tip, is used to calculate an energy release rate to initiate an interfacial debonding (interfacial energy). An effect of the difference between the approximations on the value of the interfacial energy is discussed.

Abstract: A shear-lag model is developed to predict the stress distributions in and around an isolated fiber in a single-fiber polymer matrix composite (PMC) subjected to uniaxial tensile loading and unloading along the fiber direction. The matrix is assumed to be an elasto-plastic material that deforms according to J2 flow theory. The stress distributions are obtained numerically and compared with a different shear-lag model that employs total strain theory as a constitutive equation of the matrix material. An effect of the difference between the models on the derived stress state is discussed.