Biaxial Fatigue of Fiber-Reinforced Composites at Cryogenic Temperatures. Part I: Fatigue Fracture Life and Mechanisms

A study of biaxial fatigue of glass fiber-reinforced composites subjected to in-phase, cyclic tensile and torsional loading at cryogenic temperatures is presented. Fatigue failure of the composite is investigated in terms of cyclic fracture, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation. Fatigue fracture lives of the cryogenic composite are obtained for the cases of various combinations of cyclic tensile and torsional stresses. A power-law relationship is established between the range of cyclic octahedral shear stress and the number of cycles to fracture. Influences of hydrostatic mean stress and stress biaxiality ratio on fatigue fracture of the fiber composite are determined. Fracture mechanisms in the material during the cryogenic biaxial fatigue are examined by using optical and scanning electron microscopes.