Polysulfone nanofiber-modified composite laminates: Investigation of mode-I fatigue behavior and damage mechanisms

In this study, the fatigue properties of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite laminates were investigated, specifically focusing on the incorporation of 100-mu m polysulfone (PSU) nanofibers as an interleaving material. The PSU nanofibers were produced using the electrospinning technique. Both quasi-static and fatigue tests were conducted on both the reference specimens and the modified specimens to evaluate their mode-I performance. The results revealed an 85% increase in fracture toughness (GIC) under quasi-static testing. The fatigue plots revealed a noteworthy reduction in the fatigue crack growth rate (da/dN) for the modified specimens due to new toughening mechanisms. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that, the PSU nanofiber became melted and distributed in the interface, leading to phase separation and a sea-island structure. The presence of PSU microspheres caused crack deflection during delamination, which resulted in increased fracture and fatigue resistance.

Automated summary

This study investigated the fatigue properties of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates and explored the effect of incorporating polysulfone nanofibers as an interleaving material. The results showed that adding polysulfone nanofibers significantly improved the fracture toughness and fatigue resistance of the composite laminates.