Angle‐ply orientation‐dependent failure behaviors of carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminates

Abstract This paper researches the micro‐failure behaviors of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates with different angle‐ply orientations subjected to tensile load. On the basis of the strain rates of 2.6 × 10 −6 s −1 and 2.6 × 10 −3 s −1 , the significant difference in deformation behaviors of CFRP laminates with different angle‐ply orientations are investigated by using a miniature tensile tester. The scanning electron microscopy images are used to assess fracture damage modes of CFRP laminates, including matrix cracking, delamination, fiber‐matrix debonding, and fiber fracture, determined the “high‐low‐high” trend of the strength of laminates with the increase of ply angle. In order to analyze the crack propagation mechanism of laminates attributed to matrix micro‐crack under uniaxial tensile load, two wide applicable micro‐crack propagation models of laminates are proposed to explain the fracture damage failure behaviors of CFRP laminates with different angle‐ply orientations.