Experimental and Numerical Studies of Interlaminar Shear Strength in Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite
Shubham Kavitkar, Singh KK and Hemant Priyadarshi
ABSTRACT
Basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) is a natural composite derived from volcanic rock through melting and fiberizing process. It is gaining popularity because of its high strength-to-weight factor and excellent mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. Fracture toughness testing is used to analyse crashworthiness, structural integrity and safety to avoid material failure. In this study, the estimation of Interlaminar Shear Strength (ILSS) was done by performing the Short Beam Shear (SBS) test. This three-point bend test is performed in accordance with the ASTM D2344 standard on a computerized Universal Testing Machine (UTM). Strain rate of 1 mm/min is given to the load cell. For this standard, the sample dimensions used are 36 x 12 x 6 mm³. The stacking sequence used in this study is [(0/90), (45/- 45), (0/90), (45/-45)]2s. This test provides critical data on shear failure between the layers. The study compares the obtained experimental results with the numerical results from ANSYS. These results indicate excellent resistance to crack propagation and better interlaminar shear resistance. Matrix cracking, fiber breakage, crack initiation, delamination, debonding etc. such failure mechanisms are expected to occur.
