Anisomorphic constant fatigue life diagrams for a woven fabric carbon/epoxy laminate at different temperatures

The effect of temperature on the constant fatigue life (CFL) diagram for a woven fabric carbon/epoxy quasi-isotropic laminate has been examined. Constant amplitude fatigue tests are first performed at different stress ratios on coupon specimens at room temperature (RT), 100 and 150 °C, respectively. The experimental results show that the CFL diagram for the woven CFRP laminate, which is plotted in the plane of mean and alternating stresses, becomes asymmetric about the alternating stress axis, regardless of test temperature, and shrinks as temperature increases. The CFL envelopes for given constant values of life are nonlinear over the range of fatigue cycles, regardless of test temperature, and they take peaks approximately at a particular stress ratio “critical stress ratio” that is given by the ratio of compressive strength to tensile strength. Then, the experimental CFL diagram for each temperature is compared with prediction using the anisomorphic CFL diagram approach that allows constructing the asymmetric and nonlinear CFL diagram for a given composite on the basis of the static strengths in tension and compression and the reference S–N relationship for the critical stress ratio. It is demonstrated that the anisomorphic CFL diagram approach can successfully be employed for predicting the CFL diagram and thus for predicting the S–N relationships for the woven CFRP laminate at any stress ratios, regardless of test temperature.