Susceptibility to delamination is one of the major weaknesses of many advanced laminated composite structures. Knowledge of a laminated composite material's resistance to interlaminar fracture is useful for product development and material selection. Furthermore, a measurement of the Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, independent of specimen geometry or method of load introduction, is useful for establishing design allowables used in damage tolerance analyses of composite structures made from these materials.

This test method can serve the following purposes:

To establish quantitatively the effect of fiber surface treatment, local variations in fiber volume fraction, and processing and environmental variables on G_Ic of a particular composite material.

To compare quantitatively the relative values of G_Ic for composite materials with different constituents.

To develop delamination failure criteria for composite damage tolerance and durability analyses.

1.1 This test method describes the determination of the opening Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness, G_Ic, of continuous fiber-reinforced composite materials using the double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen (Fig. 1).

1.2 This test method is limited to use with composites consisting of unidirectional carbon fiber and glass fiber tape laminates with brittle and tough single-phase polymer matrices. This limited scope reflects the experience gained in round-robin testing. This test method may prove useful for other types and classes of composite materials; however, certain interferences have been noted (see 6.5).

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.

1.4 This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

(a) with piano hinges (b) with loading blocks