Effect of surface roughness on interlaminar peel and shear strength of CFRP/Mg laminates

In this study, grit blasting with different abrasive particle sizes was carried out on magnesium alloy sheets, then the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)/magnesium alloys laminates were prepared using a hot-press process. The surface characteristics of magnesium alloy, and the interlaminar strength of CFRP/Mg laminates were examined, in order to investigate comprehensively the effect of surface roughness on interlaminar strength of laminates under peel and shear loading conditions. The results show that the rougher surface significantly improves the peel strength of laminates, while the shear strength of laminates increases only slightly with increasing surface roughness. Hence, the rougher surface exhibits a good overall interlaminar strength under peel and shear loading when compared to the smoother surfaces.