Characterization of thin laminate interface by using Double Cantilever Beam and End Notched Flexure tests

Abstract: This thesis is intended to identify the mode I and mode II fracture toughness to characterize the thin laminate interface by using the Double Cantilever Beam test (DCB) and End Notched Flexure test (ENF). This study’s thin laminate was Polyethylene Terephthalate and Low-Density Polyethylene (PET-LDPE), which is mostly used by packaging industries in the manufacturing of packages to store liquid food. As PET-LDPE film is very flexible and difficult to handle, DCB and ENF tests cannot be performed directly so, sheet metal (Aluminium) was used as carrier material. PET-LDPE film is placed between two aluminum plates to reduce the flexibility and perform the tests. Therefore, the Aluminium plate was also studied to find the constitutive parameters (young’s modulus (E) and mixed hardening parameters (Plastic properties)) under the tensile test and three-point bending test. From the test response, energy release rate calculation has been done for different Pre-crack lengths to validate the DCB and ENF experimental setup, study the different Pre-crack lengths, and characterize the laminate interface. Finite Element simulation (FE simulation) for those tests were carried out in AbaqusTM2020. When needed, the force versus displacement response from FE simulation was optimized against experimental response to find the required constitutive parameters (Young’s modulus, Hardening parameters, and PET-LDPE material properties). Implementing of optimization algorithm and automated simulation has been done with the help of MATLAB code. In contrast, MATLAB works as a server, and Abaqus works as a client and connected two interfaces to run the optimization. The results obtained from experiments and FE simulations were compared to the results found in the literature.