This work seeks to investigate the notch sensitivity and fracture behaviour of orthogonal Kevlar-plain woven fabric (PWF)-reinforced thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) film applied to high altitude balloon. Four types of specimens are implemented to measure notched strength and fracture toughness by conducting static tension and tear tests on an MTS system respectively. The damage and failure mechanisms are discussed and the results for notched strength and tear resistance are evaluated and compared with each other. From the experiments, it is found that the notch sensitivity of the film increases with the increase in the size of the hole, but the notch sensitivity and the stress concentration of the notch are insignificant and there is a decrease of only about 4%-10% in tensile strength for the notched specimens with different hole sizes in diameter compared with the unnotched specimen. In contrast, the tear resistance containing a central slit with only 1 mm length is about half of tensile strength of the unnotched film, which implies that the tear resistance exists an significant notch sensitivity. The results of this study provide an insight into notch sensitivity and fracture behaviour of the Kevlar-PWF-reinforced TPU film and constitute a fundamental basis for the design of high altitude balloon.
This paper deals with static pull and push bending tests on two-dimensional (2D) orthogonal EW220/5284 twill weave fabric (TWF) composite tee-joints processed with the resin transfer moulding (RTM) technique. Static pull and push bending properties are determined and failure initiation mechanism is deduced from experimental observations. The experiments show that the failure initiation load, on average, is greater for push bending than for pull bending, whereas the scatter is smaller for push bending than for pull bending. The failure mode of RTM-made tee-joints in pull bending tests can be reckoned to be characteristic of debonding of resin matrix at the interface between the triangular resin-rich zone and the curved web of tee-joint until complete separation of the curved web from the bottom plate. In contrast, as distinct from the products subject to pull bending loading, the RTM tee-joints in push bending tests experience matrix cracking and fibre fracture from outer layers to inner layers of the bottom plate until catastrophic collapse resulting from the bending. Three-dimensional finite element (FE) models are presented to simulate the load transfer path and failure initiation mechanism of RTM-made TWF composite tee-joint based on the maximum stress criterion. Good correlation between experimental and numerical results is achieved.
