Flexural progressive failure mechanism of hybrid 3D woven composites: Combination of X-ray tomography, acoustic emission and digital image correlation

This paper presents the hybrid effect on the bending progressive damage of three-dimensional (3D) angle-interlock woven composites. Three types of 3D angle-interlock specimens, carbon, hybrid (Carbon/UHMWPE) and UHMWPE, of the warp and weft orientations are experimentally tested via three-point bending method. X-ray micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT), acoustic emission (AE) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques are combined to evaluate the damage initiation/evolution of hybrid 3D woven composites. Results indicate that hybrid structures have significant effects on the mechanical behaviors, damage models and failure mechanisms. Furthermore, the dominant failure mechanisms of hybrid 90° specimens are delamination, fiber fracture matrix cracking and debonding, whereas those of hybrid 0° specimens are matrix cracking and fiber matrix debonding.