Fatigue, Creep, and Impact Resistance of Aramid Fiber Reinforced Composites
SourceKevlar® 49 a high-strength, high-modulus, low-density organic fiber has gained significant acceptance as a weight-reducing replacement for E-glass in aircraft applications and for S-glass in filament-wound missile components. New end-use applications require a better understanding of the static and dynamic fatigue and impact resistance of these composites. The tension-tension fatigue life of both unidirectional fiber and fabric-reinforced laminates was greater than that of comparable glass-reinforced composites. The creep rate under continuous tensile stress was comparable to that of glass composites. The ball-drop impact resistance of Kevlar 49 fabric laminate-faced sandwich panels was dependent on fabric weave construction and number of face sheet plies. This relationship was significantly different for sandwich beams having glass-reinforced facings.