Tensile strength of composite laminates after various types of repair

Abstract

The effects of the repair method and the damage size on the tensile strength of composite laminates were studied. A total of 30 specimens of 6 different types were tested. The results showed that the tensile strengths of carbon/epoxy laminate patch-repaired specimens decreased approximately 25% compared with the tensile strength of undamaged laminate. The reduction in the strengths of the specimens repaired by wet laid-up glass fabric was larger, up to 60%. While the strength decreased until the damage size reached 19.1 mm, it did not decrease further for damage sizes over 19.1 mm. A separate test showed that the differences caused by film type and paste type are negligible. ? 2012 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.