Characterization of aging, deformation and failure of high temperature polymer composites

High temperature polymer composites are widely used in high speed transport airframe structures and aircraft engine components due to their high strength, high stiffness, high temperature tolerance and light weight properties. One critical issue for structural designers and material developers is long term behavior of advanced polymer matrix composite (PMC) and their associated damage and failure mechanisms. This research work focuses on physical aging, deformation and failure of high temperature PMC's, which may all play important roles in determining long term behavior.; A comprehensive characterization of high temperature PMC's is performed using experimental, statistical and analytical approaches. The experimental techniques consist of measuring physical aging of a carbon/polyimide (IM7/K3B) composite, processing, residual stress analysis and damage characterization of a carbon/epoxy (IM7/977-3) composite under static and fatigue loading. Monte Carlo techniques are introduced to simulate static and fatigue damage development. Analytical models are also proposed to quantify physical aging and predict transverse matrix cracking. Temperature effects are included in all topics of this work.