A study on fatigue characteristics of scarf joint-repaired composite laminate under various temperature environments

Abstract

Composites are often used in aircraft main structures due to their high specific-strength and stiffness. However, unlike metal structures, composite structures have a large impact on physical properties even for small cracks due to brittle fracture. Proper repair studies have been carried out to overcome the disadvantages of these composite structures. In the early days, the mechanical fastening method was used for repairs of composite aircraft, but in recent years, a scarf repair method which does not change the appearance of the aircraft is preferred. However, the scarf repair method shows differences in properties depending on temperature changes. In this study, fatigue tests of scarf joint specimens were performed with temperature changes. The test results showed that the strength decreased with increasing temperature. © 2017 International Committee on Composite Materials. All rights reserved.