Abstract
This dissertation consists of four investigations, all of which concern the effects of post cure cool down path and environmental conditioning upon the residual thermal stresses that develop in composite laminates. The main theme involves an analysis which considers the effects of temperature and moisture upon the time-dependent behavior of the material and all calculations employ recent data on the hygrothermoviscoelastic response of the AS/3502 graphite/epoxy system. The analysis was accompanied by an experimental investigation, where curvatures of anti-symmetric, cross-ply AS/3502 graphite/epoxy laminates were measured as a function of time and compared against theoretical viscoelastic predictions. Additional topics involved a thermoviscoelastic characterization of the Hercules 3502 epoxy resin system, and an assessment of the effects of chemical cure shrinkage strains upon residual stresses. These two subjects involved experimental work, supplemented by appropriate mathematical models. The fourth subject concerns optimal cool down paths which minimize the residual thermal stresses occurring in balanced, symmetric cross-ply laminates. Solutions were obtained analytically, based upon variational principles.
Harper, Brian Dougla (1983). On the effects of post cure cool down and environmental conditioning on residual stresses in composite laminates. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -543615.