In situ damage mechanisms investigation of PA66/GF30 composite: Effect of relative humidity

Damage mechanisms of injection molded polyamide-66/short glass fiber 30 wt% composite (PA66/GF30) were analyzed using in situ SEM mechanical tests on specimens conditioned under three relative humidity contents (RH = 0%, 50% and 100%). The validity of these in situ analyses was confirmed by X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) observations on tensile loaded specimens. Experimental results demonstrated that relative humidity (RH) conditions influence strongly the damage level and damage mechanisms. Indeed, for specimen with RH = 0%, damage initiation occurs at significantly higher load level than those in RH = 50% and RH = 100% specimens. The higher relative humidity condition also results in higher damage level. Damage chronologies have been proposed as damage initiation in the form of fiber–matrix debonding occurs at fiber ends and more generally at locations where fibers are close to each other due to the generation of local stress concentration (for all studied RH contents), and first fiber breakages occur (RH = 0%). These debonded zones further propagate through fiber–matrix interface (for all studied RH contents), and new fiber breakages develop (RH = 0%). At high relative flexural stress, matrix microcracks appear and grow regardless the RH contents. For RH = 100%, these microcracks are also accompanied by many matrix deformation bands. Subsequently, they lead to the damage accumulation and then to the final failure.