INFLUENCE OF TEST FIXTURE CONFIGURATION ON THE MEASURED COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF A COMPOSITE-MATERIAL

Three compression test fixtures, the IITRI (Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute), Wyoming-Modified Celanese, and Wyoming-Modified IITRI fixtures, are directly compared by testing Hercules AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy unidirectional composites in axial compression. The principal characteristics of each fixture are described, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. It is demonstrated that, if proper fixtures and test procedures are used, all three test fixture configurations produce equivalent results for both axial compressive strength and modulus.