MMT-2008-MATERA DEFCOM -The effect of defects in structural composites

01.12.2008 - 30.11.2011
Research funding project
The final aim of the research project is to provide a knowledge-based engineering tool to assess the influence of manufacturing defects on the mechanical performance of advanced structural composites used in the strategic sectors of energy and land and air transportation across Europe. The state-of-the-art knowledge on the mechanical integrity of this class of materials nowadays lacks the fundamental understanding on the characteristics of defects that are detrimental for a specific application. This type of research cannot be carried out only on an experimental basis due to the extensive experimental programs needed to evaluate the enormous variety of defects that can occur (internal voids at the lamina level, delaminations, fibre misorientations and wrinkles, marcel defects, cut plies, intra and interlaminar inclusions). However, recent advances in materials characterization techniques, such as X-ray tomography, and in modeling and simulation, allow to include the microscopic composite architecture and the constituents¿ properties into simulations of materials behaviour. The objective of DEFCOM is to apply a synergetic approach between modeling and experiments to advance in our understanding of high performance composite materials, and the accurate prediction of their in-service behavior. Besides advancing on our fundamental understanding of high performance structural composites, the outcome of this project is of particular importance for the aeronautic, wind energy and transportation industries for quality control during production and in-service inspection during maintenance operations, as well as for the composite manufacturing industry, suffering significant production costs, due to rejection of components suspected to be non-conforming. Altogether the resulting quality measures increase the design reliability.

People

Project leader

Institute

Grant funds

  • FFG - Österr. Forschungsförderungs- gesellschaft mbH (National) Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)

Research focus

  • Composite Materials: 20%
  • Special and Engineering Materials: 15%
  • Structure-Property Relationsship: 15%
  • Materials Characterization: 30%
  • Modeling and Simulation: 20%

Keywords

GermanEnglish
Faserverstärkte PolymereFiber reinforced Polymer
QuälitätskriterienQuality criteria
VerformungssimulationSimulation of deformation
DefektbewertungDefect evaluation

External partner

  • FH OÖ Forschungs & Entwicklungs Gmb
  • Secar Technologie GmbH

Publications