Fracture Strength of Liquid Metal Infused Carbon/Glass Composites

Presenter

Zachary Braden Safford

Campus

UMass Dartmouth

Sponsor

Vijaya Chalivendra, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UMass Dartmouth

Schedule

Session 2, 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A61, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 4 (A61-A80) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

An experimental study is performed to investigate the quasi-static fracture toughness and damage monitoring capabilities of liquid metal (75.5% Gallium/24.5% Indium) reinforced intraply glass/carbon hybrid composites. Two different layups (G-0, where glass fibers are along the crack propagation direction; C-0, where carbon fibers are along the crack propagation direction) and two different weight percentages of liquid metal (1% and 2%) are considered in the fabrication of the composites. A novel four-probe technique is employed to determine the piezo-resistive damage response under mode-I fracture loading conditions. The effect of layups and liquid metal concentrations on fracture toughness and changes in piezo-resistance response is discussed. The C-composite without liquid metal demonstrated higher fracture toughness compared to that of the G-composite due to carbon fiber breakage. The addition of liquid metal decreases the fracture initiation toughness of both G- and C-composites. Scanning electron microscopy images show that liquid metal takes the form of large liquid metal pockets and small spherical droplets on the fracture surfaces. In both C- and G-composites, the peak resistance change of composites with 2% liquid metal is substantially lower than that of both no-liquid metal and 1% liquid metal composites.

Keywords

Liquid metal, Hybrid composites, Quasi-static fracture toughness, Damage monitoring, Intraply

Research Area

Engineering

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