Effect of material nonlinearity on the toughness evaluation in quasi-static mode II interlaminar fracture toughness tests of composite laminates

In mode II interlaminar fracture toughness tests of composite laminates, the fracture toughness evaluated based on linear elastic fracture mechanics deviates from the true toughness due to the material nonlinearity of the matrix. In this study, an elastoplastic finite-element analysis was performed on a new quasi-static mode II interlaminar fracture toughness test, i.e., the doubly endnotched tension (DENT) test, to investigate the difference between the perceived energy release rate and the J-integral. The effect of material nonlinearity was compared with other quasi-static mode II interlaminar fracture toughness tests: three- and four-point bend end-notched flexure tests. Analysis of the DENT showed that for a given J-integral loading, the size of the plastic zone at the delamination crack tip was the same regardless of the crack length. The difference between the perceived energy release rate and J-integral in the DENT test with respect to the plastic zone size was independent of the crack length, and was smaller compared with that of flexure-type tests. Furthermore, the compliance calibration method was applied to the elastoplastic analysis results of the DENT test to reduce the evaluation difference of the energy release rate.