TC4 Polymers and Polymer Composites
|
Co-Chairs |
Prof J G Williams |
Imperial College, |
|
Co-Chairs |
Prof A Pavan |
Dip di Chimica Industriale e Ingeneria Chimica, |
|
Secretary |
Dr B Blackman |
Contact E-mails: b.blackman@ic.ac.uk |
TC4, on Polymers, Adhesives and Composites was formed in 1985 and has focussed on the application of fracture mechanics
to polymers, adhesives joints and composite laminates via the development of test protocols, the running of international conferences and by publication of round-robin results and edited multi-author text books on the activities of the group. TC4 is chaired jointly by Professor Gordon Williams (Imperial College London) and Professor Andrea Pavan (Politecnico di Milano).
The main work areas under evaluation by TC4 are linear elastic fracture mechanics, elastic-plastic fracture
mechanics, impact and high rate testing, fatigue testing, composite delamination, the peeling of flexible laminates and the testing of structural adhesive joints. The committee has about 50 members and meets twice yearly in May and October in the Swiss village of Les Diablerets. The usual meeting format is two and a half days, running from Wednesday to 12noon on Friday. The next meeting is scheduled for 21st-23rd May 2003.
TC4 has now organised three international conferences (in 1993, 1999, 2002) and a forth is planned for 2005
(provisionally 11th-15th September 2005). These events cover all the aspects of fracture mechanics of polymers, adhesives and composites covered by the committee and covers also the applications of fracture mechanics. As a number of the original work areas have now progressed to full international standards, new work areas are being actively sought and recent proposals have included environmental stress cracking, the impact of short fibre composites, the mode II testing of structural adhesive joints and an impact ductile tearing test for thermoplastics.
The activities of the group and current versions of all TC4 protocols have been published by Elsevier Science as
ESIS Publication 28 "Fracture mechanics testing methods for polymers, adhesives and composites," edited by D.R. Moore, A. Pavan and J.G. Williams, 2001. Further information about the committee and activities can be obtained from the secretary, B.R.K. Blackman at Imperial College London (b.blackman@imperial.ac.uk). The current status of all existing work areas is summarised in the following table.
TC4 UPDATE 2006
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
The highlight of 2005 was the successful 4th ESIS TC4 Conference on the Fracture of Polymers, Composites and Adhesives, held during
11-14th September in Les Diablerets, Switzerland. This was a single session technical conference on the fracture of polymers,
composites and adhesives and was attended by 123 delegates. Thirty eight oral papers and 57 posters were presented.
The proceedings will be published during 2006 as a special issue of the journal, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, following peer review.
The technical committee met immediately following the conference for a two day meeting, and also met earlier in May for the regular
three day meeting.
Ongoing work areas include mode II delamination in composites and structural adhesive joints, peel testing of structural
adhesives using a mandrel test, J-crack growth resistance testing of polymers, high rate testing of polymers at greater than 1m/s,
the essential work of fracture method, impact testing of short fibre composites and fatigue delamination.
NEXT MEETINGS
In 2006, the committee will meet on the following occasions:
- 24th-26th May 2006 (Regular TC4 Committee meeting): Les Diablerets, Switzerland.
– 4th-6th October 2006 (Regular TC4 Committee meeting): Les Diablerets, Switzerland.
The meetings are open to all. Please contact the technical secretary, Bamber Blackman
(b.blackman@ic.ac.uk),
for details and agenda.
TC4 UPDATE 2005
- Ongoing Activities
ESIS TC4 met twice in 2003 (May and October) at their usual venue of Les Diablerets in Switzerland.
In 2002 three TC4 work areas had been completed leading to the publication of three ISO standards.
Ongoing work areas include mode I delamination of cross-ply and z-pinned composites, mode II delamination
in composites, mode II fracture of structural adhesive joints, J-crack growth resistance testing of polymers,
high rate testing of polymers at greater than 1m/s, the essential work of fracture method, peel testing of flexible
laminates, impact testing of short fibre composites and an impact plastic work dissipation method for polymers
(reversed Charpy).
- Publications
The proceedings of the conference 'Fracture of Polymers, Composites and Adhesives II' held in Switzerland in September
2002 were published by Elsevier Science as ESIS Publication 32 in November 2003 (editors B.R.K Blackman, A. Pavan and J.G.
Williams). The proceedings contain 47 peer-reviewed papers selected from those presented at the 3rd ESIS TC4 conference.
The book "The Application of Fracture Mechanics to Polymers, Adhesives and Composites" (edited by D.R. Moore) was completed
and published by Elsevier Science as ESIS Publication 33 in December 2003. This book contains 37 articles on applications
of fracture mechanics to polymers, adhesives and composites. The topics are discussed either in terms of performance or in
terms of design for these materials. Authorship was by a wide multi-national group of scientists with connections to ESIS TC4.
- Meetings for 2004 and beyond
26th-28th May 2004: Regular ESIS TC4 committee meeting.
20th-22nd October 2004: Regular ESIS TC4 committee meeting.
11th-15th September 2005 (provisional): 4th International ESIS TC4 Conference
(All to be held in Les Diablerets, Switzerland.)
For any further information on meetings or activities,
please contact the committee secretary Bamber Blackman
(b.blackman@imperial.ac.uk) or refer to website: www.esisweb.org.
ESIS TC4 met twice in 2003 (May and October) at their usual venue of Les Diablerets in Switzerland. In 2002 three TC4 work areas had been completed leading to the publication of three ISO standards. Ongoing work areas include mode I delamination of cross-ply and z-pinned composites, mode II delamination in composites, mode II fracture of structural adhesive joints, J-crack growth resistance testing of polymers, high rate testing of polymers at greater than 1m/s, the essential work of fracture method, peel testing of flexible laminates, impact testing of short fibre composites and an impact plastic work dissipation method for polymers (reversed Charpy).
The proceedings of the conference 'Fracture of Polymers, Composites and Adhesives II' held in Switzerland in September 2002 were published by Elsevier Science as ESIS Publication 32 in November 2003 (editors B.R.K Blackman, A. Pavan and J.G. Williams). The proceedings contain 47 peer-reviewed papers selected from those presented at the 3rd ESIS TC4 conference. The book "The Application of Fracture Mechanics to Polymers, Adhesives and Composites" (edited by D.R. Moore) was completed and published by Elsevier Science as ESIS Publication 33 in December 2003. This book contains 37 articles on applications of fracture mechanics to polymers, adhesives and composites. The topics are discussed either in terms of performance or in terms of design for these materials. Authorship was by a wide multi-national group of scientists with connections to ESIS TC4.
26th-28th May 2004: Regular ESIS TC4 committee meeting.
20th-22nd October 2004: Regular ESIS TC4 committee meeting.
11th-15th September 2005 (provisional): 4th International ESIS TC4 Conference (All to be held in Les Diablerets, Switzerland.)
For any further information on meetings or activities, please contact the committee secretary Bamber Blackman (b.blackman@imperial.ac.uk) or refer to website: www.esisweb.org.
TABLE OF ACTIVITIES ESIS TC4
|
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY |
CURRENT STATUS |
DESIGNATION |
|
Determination of fracture toughness (GIC & KIC) for plastics. An LEFM approach. |
ISO standard published March 2000. |
ISO 13586-1 |
|
Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, GIC, of unidirectional fibre-reinforced polymer composites. |
ISO standard published in 2001. |
ISO 15024 |
|
Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness, GIIC, of unidirectional fibre-reinforced polymer composites. |
TC4 protocol available. (Latest version 99-12-03). To be proposed jointly with 4ENF test-Technical Specification Doc. |
- |
|
Mixed-mode (I/II) interlaminar fracture toughness, GI/IIC, of unidirectional fibre-reinforced polymer composites. (ADCB). |
TC4 protocol available. |
- |
|
J-Crack Growth Resistance Curve Tests on Plastics. |
TC4 Protocol available |
- |
|
Determination of fracture toughness (GIC & KIC) for short fibre composites. |
TC4 Protocol available. Submitted to ISO as annex to ISO 13586. ISO DIS agreed in 2000. |
ISO DIS 13585-2 |
|
Determination of fracture toughness (GIC & KIC) of plastics at high loading rates. (1m/s) |
TC4 protocol published as final International standard- September 2002. |
ISO 17281 |
|
Determination of fracture toughness (GIC & KIC) of plastics at loading rates greater than 1m/s. (1-30m/s) |
TC4 protocol available. |
- |
|
J-Crack growth resistance curve tests for plastics under impact conditions. |
TC4 protocol available, written as appendix D to static J protocol above. |
- |
|
Essential work of fracture (EWF). |
TC4 Protocol available. |
- |
|
Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, GIC, of cross-ply fibre-reinforced polymer composites. |
Protocol as for mode I laminates. |
- |
|
Peel testing of flexible laminates |
TC4 protocol available. |
- |
|
Determination of the mode I adhesive fracture energy, GIC, of structural adhesives. |
TC4 protocol available (version 1-06-00) |
BS 7991 |
|
Test method for tension-tension fatigue crack propagation in plastics |
Standard published on 15/06/2002 |
ISO 15850 |
|
Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, GIC, of z-pinned fibre-reinforced polymer composites. |
As for ISO 15024. |
- |
|
Determination of fracture toughness (GIC & KIC) of short fibre composites at high loading rates. (1m/s) |
No protocol available yet. |
- |