Mode Conversion in Composite Material with Matrix Cracks

This paper presents a numerical study of mode conversion behavior of guided wave in glass fiber reinforced polymer with matrix cracks. For a single crack, two different factors including the guided wave mode of the excitation and the position of the crack are taken into consideration. Results show that mode conversion from symmetric mode to antisymmetric mode plays an important role when the crack locates near the surface. Aimed at evaluating micro-damage accumulation, the mode conversion behavior is quantified by defining a parameter MCI (Mode Conversion Index). The relation between MCI and the density of matrix cracks shows that the mode conversion behavior is very sensitive to the micro-damage accumulation, which has potential for composite fatigue evaluation.