Characterization of a 3D Printed Composite under Monotonic and Cyclic Tensile Loading

Abstract

High-performance composite materials generally respond in a manner close to that of linear-elastic materials with brittle failure in many cases. However, when the mechanical behaviour of the matrix is predominant, these composites show non-linear elasticity, viscous effects, and plastic deformations before failure. Therefore, these materials should be analysed to understand their response in long-term applications. For this purpose, the mechanical response of a composite reinforced with short carbon fibres and graphene subjected to monotonic tensile tests, as well as cyclic tests at constant load and repeated progressive load will be evaluated. The results showed that this type of composite, and all those with similar behaviour, require a complex model to predict their mechanical behaviour.