Characterization of composite materials damage under quasi-static three-point bending test using wavelet and fuzzy C-means clustering

In this study, two types of specimens, woven [0, 90](s) and unidirectional [0](s) glass/epoxy composites, were studied. Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring with wavelet-based signal processing technique and Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) clustering method was used to detect the different fracture mechanisms during delamination in quasi-static three-point bending test. The three-point bending test simulates thrust force, the most effective factor in delamination, throughout the process of drilling without backup plate. The obtained AE signals were decomposed into various wavelet levels and classified using FCM. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observation was used to determine the different fracture mechanisms. The results show that the energy of AE signals has been concentrated in two significant components for both types of specimens, and the dependency percentage of damages in the two specimens is different.