Characterization of Mode I fatigue crack growth in GFRP woven laminates at low temperatures

This paper describes an experimental and analytical study on the cryogenic fatigue behavior of glass fiber reinforced polymer woven laminates under Mode I loading. Fatigue crack growth rate tests were performed using compact tension specimens at room temperature, liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K), and liquid helium temperature (4 K). The fracture surfaces were also examined by scanning electron microscopy to correlate with the fatigue properties. A finite element method coupled with fatigue damage was adopted for the extensional analysis. The effects of temperature and loading condition on the fatigue crack growth rates are examined.