Residual stresses in thermoplastic composites – a study of the literature. Part III: Effects of thermal residual stresses

This paper is the third part in a series of review papers on residual stresses in thermoplastic composites. The first two parts were dedicated to the formation of thermal residual stresses and experimental techniques to detect these stresses, respectively. This third paper discusses the effects that thermal residual stresses have on the material properties of thermoplastic composites. Composite laminates as well as composite structures were considered.Residual stresses were found to affect the composites’ matrix-dominated, mechanical and durability properties, as well as to inflict damage and dimensional instability. Several mechanisms to relieve thermal residual stresses are proposed.