Conductive interlaminar interfaces for structural health monitoring in composite laminates under fatigue loading

Abstract

Conductive interlaminar interfaces were introduced into glass fiber reinforced polymer composites using frictional roller sliding of buckypaper films. The proposed method allowed creating functional ply interfaces for structural health monitoring (SHM). The methods of SHM were investigated using changes in electrical resistance of the composite under fatigue loading in 3-point bending configuration. The study identified various parameters for detecting and monitoring the state of damage in the composite and used finite element analysis to explain electrical conductivity recovery in unloaded sample, which have developed macroscopic delaminations under fatigue. The proposed method of creating conductive interfaces in advanced composites showed to be an effective and scalable technique for manufacturing functional multi-scale nanocomposites. Keywords: SHM, GFRP, Carbon nanostructures, Fatigue, Delamination