Acoustic Emission of 3D Angle Interlock Glass Fibre Composites

Abstract

It is a big challenge to relate acoustic emission (AE) signal events to specific damage modes developed in composites under hygro-thermo-mechanical loading. This study provides further insight into the AE monitoring of a 3D angle interlock (AI) glass fibre composite and has revealed the complex nature of the relationship between the principal characteristics of recorded AE events on the one hand and the mechanical behaviour of the material on the other. Because the tested material here is transparent, the development of cracks can be observed in-situ during the test using optical images on the specimen. This paper presents experimental results on the use of AE on 3D AI glass fibre composites for structural health monitoring (SHM) of matrix cracks, during quasi-static tension of flat plates.