Damage of Composite Materials

Composite materials are used extensively in aerospace and more recently in automotive applications. Their high mechanical performances and good fatigue durability offer definite advantages compared to more traditional materials. However, in comparison with metal, damage mechanisms are complex and variability of the mechanical properties due to anisotropy, heterogeneity and defects (due to materials but also processing technologies) more important.To be able to design composite parts, understanding the micro-mechanisms of damage is essential. The article presents the main fatigue damage mechanisms on thermoset and thermoplastic composites. A state of art is done on numerous works on composite fatigue and fractographic investigations. Some case studies of in-service failure are discussed.