The effects of defects on the compressive response of thick carbon composites: An experimental and computational study

The effects of defects on lowering the compressive strength of thick unidirectional carbon fiber polymer matrix composites are reported here. Experimental results on specimens with specially designed defect shape and sizes are presented. A decrease in compressive strength is seen with an increase in both misalignment angle and defect height. Defect aspect ratio seems to influence the dominant mode of failure, with lower defect aspect ratio...