3D micro-mechanics of a CFRP laminate under high-rate and varying temperature loading using digital volume correlation

Journal article

Understanding microscopic damage mechanics in laminated CFRP at high-strain-rate (HSR) loading and extreme temperatures remains an enduring challenge. Using X-ray tomography coupled with digital volume correlation (DVC), three-dimensional local displacement/strain fields and segmented micron-scale intra-ply cracking were quantified, revealing damage micro-mechanics at HSR. Local deformation exhibits strong directionality that intensifies with increasing strain and decreasing temperature, accompanied by earlier and more rapid damage development at low temperature. Strain-damage correspondence indicates both Mode-II-dominated and mixed-mode (I/II) intra-ply cracking, while delamination shows a stronger Mode-I contribution but remains mixed-mode. Inter-ply kinematic constraint and shear transfer between adjacent plies with mismatched fibre orientations were directly visualised and characterised under HSR loading, particularly at low temperature. Together with the spatially non-uniform and asynchronous development of local deformation through the laminate thickness, these results highlight substantial departures from the nominal in-plane shear state commonly assumed for uniaxial ±45° laminate tests under extreme conditions.

Authors: Sun, X; Lukić, B; Chen, Y; Xu, Z; Chapman, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Journal: Composites Part B: Engineering
• Volume: 321
• Article number: 113693
• Publication date: 2026-04-17
• Acceptance date: 2026-04-14
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2026.113693
• EISSN: 1879-1069
• ISSN: 1359-8368
• Language: English