An indirect method based on fretting tests to characterize the elastic properties of materials: Application to an epoxy resin RTM6 under variable temperature conditions

An original indirect method of elastic modulus measurement based on fretting tests is developed here. It consists in applying a normal force, then marking the contact area thanks to a tiny cyclic fretting loading. The elastic modulus of the epoxy resin is extrapolated from the post-mortem contact radius measurement using a Hertzian contact description. Applied to a RTM6 epoxy resin, the elastic properties are extracted from this partial slip fretting analysis and are compared to dynamic mechanical analysis data (DMA). Very good agreement was found between these fretting results and data given by DMA analysis, confirming the potential of this new contact method to extract the mechanical properties of materials.