Effects of nonlinear viscoelastic behaviour and loading rate on transverse cracking in CFRP laminates

The progressive multiplication of matrix transverse cracks in cross-ply laminates made of long carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) is addressed in this study. Monotonic tensile tests performed on [03/903]S laminates at 120 °C have shown a marked dependence of cracking development on loading rate. This paper aims to assess the impact of the material nonlinearity on the loading rate sensitivity of the damaging process. A “shear-lag” damage analysis, using the nonlinear correspondence principle and appropriate failure criteria, is carried out to numerically predict the cracking evolution. This work shows that, though important, the material nonlinearity of the undamaged material does not significantly enhance the loading rate sensitivity of the cracking process and it cannot explain alone the phenomenon. On the other hand, taking into account the loading rate dependence of the critical strength, together with the R-curve effect, which gives good predicted cracking curves, suggests that the observed rate effect pertains to the viscoelastic character of the damaged material in the process zone close to crack fronts.