Fatigue Damage Characterization by NDT in Polypropylene/Glass Fibre Composites

This paper presents the results of a study on glass-fibre-reinforced polypropylene composite in which the fatigue damage was investigated in terms of residual stiffness and temperature rise. Thermographic and acoustic emission techniques were used to aid the interpretation the fatigue damage mechanisms. Different laminates were tested. For one series, all the layers have one of the two fibre directions oriented with the axis of the plate. For the other two series layer distribution was obtained with the following laminate orientation in respect to the axis of the sheet: +45°/0°/−45°/0°/+45°/0°/−45° and +30°/−30°/+30°/0°/+30°/−30°/+30°. It was possible to conclude that the residual stiffness and temperature rise can be used to predict final failure of a structure and/or component. With thermographic technique it is possible to obtain temperature maps and the precise site where the failure will occur.