Stress corrosion cracking of woven GFRP laminates under acid stress environment

This paper presents stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of woven GFRP laminates under an acid stress environment. The threshold stress intensity factor K_ISCC for the stress corrosion cracking was determined by cumulative stress decrement tests. Based on a fractographic observation, it is found that the progression of corrosion at the weft fiber strand and matrix crack leads to the crack propagation of the warp fiber strand and that the fracture surfaces at each crack propagation rate are different due to the combined effect of chemical reaction and stress state. The crack propagation rate is possible to be estimated from a microscopic fracture model of the warp fiber strand. The crack propagation rate calculated by using this model agrees with the experimental value. It is confirmed that the proposed model is appropriate for evaluating the crack propagation rate of GFRP in acid stress environment.