Scarf joint modeling and analysis of composite materials

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate joint strength of the scarf joint configuration, constructed from carbon and glass woven fabric hybrid laminates, with different material combinations. Glass/glass, glass/carbon, carbon/glass, and carbon/carbon are tested under various loading conditions like tension, compression, bending and shear loading. Both experimental and computational studies are conducted. For the experimental study, specimens made of scarf joints using carbon and glass woven fabrics are tested under compressive loadings to determine their joint failure strengths. Computational models are then developed to predict the joint strengths under the same conditions as in the experiments using the discrete resin layer model along with fracture mechanics and virtual crack closure techniques. The comparisons are good. Once the computational models are validated from the test results, the scarf joint strengths are computed under different loading conditions.