Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Abstract An important case of composite failure is the leakage of pipes and pressure vessels subjected to internal pressure. The primary damage mechanism leading to leakage is transverse cracking parallel to the fibers. Effects of matrix toughening on transverse cracking strains were therefore investigated for GF/UP cross‐ply laminates with matrices of different liquid rubber content. The strain to the first transverse crack was increased from 0.2 to 0.6% with 10 wt% rubber. Debonding occurred at similar strains in GF/UP and GF/UP‐rubber. However, whereas debonding was almost simultaneous with transverse cracking in GF/UP, gradual growth of debonds to short cracks took place initially in GF/UP‐rubber. This was followed by slow extension of short cracks to a critical flaw size corresponding to unstable growth.
Sjögren et al. (1999) studied this question.