New micromechanical experimental approach for the characterization of fibre-matrix adhesion in composite materials

The evaluation of interfacial adhesion between fibres and matrix in composite materials can be approached by the use of micromechanical tests such as the pull-out test. One of the principal limits of this experimental technique is that it makes possible to obtain only one average value of the interfacial shear stress and that an extrapolation is generally necessary to obtain the maximum value of this stress. In this paper, we propose a new technique bf characterisation based on the use of DMA. The geometry of the samples remains the same as the one used for the pull-out, but it allows to considerably limit the number of samples necessary for the measurement of a parameter characteristic of adhesion. At the present time, the pull-out technique by DMA has many advantages compared to the conventional pull-out test: elastomeric matrices can be investigated with great reliability, and the composite samples can be classified according to their interfacial stress transfer ability. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.