Effect of through-thickness compression on in-plane tensile strength of glass/epoxy composites: experimental study Deng'an Cai Guangming Zhou Vadim Silberschmidt 2134/19841 https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/Effect_of_through-thickness_compression_on_in-plane_tensile_strength_of_glass_epoxy_composites_experimental_study/9576515 The effect of through-thickness compression on in-plane tensile strength of glass/epoxy composites with random microstructure was investigated experimentally. The studied composite laminates were man- ufactured with a self-regulating Resin Transfer Moulding device. Their mechanical behaviour was assessed in pure in-plane tensile and through-thickness compressive tests, followed by biaxial tests combining both loading modes; indenters with a radius ranging from 5 to 25 mm were used to impose a compressive mode. The obtained results demonstrate a nonlinear decreasing trend for the in-plane tensile strength under the growing through-thickness compressive stress. All the failed specimens showed catastrophic brittle failure with a specific fracture orientation that mainly exhibited a tensile mode of fibre fracture for smaller radii of indenters and a combination of matrix crack, fibre fracture and typical shear failure for larger radii. 2015-12-14 14:54:48 Glass/epoxy composites Through-thickness compression In-plane tension Failure mode Mechanical Engineering not elsewhere classified Mechanical Engineering