title: Improvement of the mode II interface fracture toughness of glass fiber reinforced plastics/aluminum laminates through vapor grown carbon fiber interleaves.
abstract: The effects of acid treatment, vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF) interlayer and the angle, i.e., 0° and 90°, between the rolling stripes of an aluminum (Al) plate and the fiber direction of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) on the mode II interlaminar mechanical properties of GFRP/Al laminates were investigated. The experimental results of an end notched flexure test demonstrate that the acid treatment and the proper addition of VGCF can effectively improve the critical load and mode II fracture toughness of GFRP/Al laminates. The specimens with acid treatment and 10 g m-2VGCF addition possess the highest mode II fracture toughness, i.e., 269% and 385% increases in the 0° and 90° specimens, respectively compared to those corresponding pristine ones. Due to the induced anisotropy by the rolling stripes on the aluminum plate, the 90° specimens possess 15.3%-73.6% higher mode II fracture toughness compared to the 0° specimens. The improvement mechanisms were explored by the observation of crack propagation path and fracture surface with optical, laser scanning and scanning electron microscopies. Moreover, finite element analyses were carried out based on the cohesive zone model to verify the experimental fracture toughness and to predict the interface shear strength between the aluminum plates and GFRP laminates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chiba University , 1-33 Yayoi-chio, Inage-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Huiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanomechanics, Tohoku University , Aoba 6-6-01, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Mechanics, College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Heterogeneous Material Mechanics, Chongqing University , Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology , 2 George Street, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chiba University , 1-33 Yayoi-chio, Inage-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Takesi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Mechanics, College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Heterogeneous Material Mechanics, Chongqing University , Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xianghe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chiba University , 1-33 Yayoi-chio, Inage-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Liangke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chiba University , 1-33 Yayoi-chio, Inage-ku, Chiba City, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Mechanics, College of Aerospace Engineering, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Heterogeneous Material Mechanics, Chongqing University , Chongqing 400044, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Leilei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: GFRP/Al laminates; interlaminar mechanical properties; mode II fracture toughness; vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF)