Inside 40 Years of Advances in Failure Analysis of Polymeric Composite Materials

Use of polymeric composite materials is becoming increasingly widespread. Diverse applications include fixed infrastructure, industrial chemical processing, power generation, and aeronautics. Engineers have codified design principles and manufacturing practices so they are accessible to practitioners with general engineering education. In almost all cases, when polymeric composites enter service, none of the design codes, approaches, or construction standards apply, and they cannot be used to determine Fitness For Service. When failures occur, approaches that are normally followed in investigation yield inconclusive results, which often creates a conclusion that: “There was an undetected manufacturing defect.” All polymeric composites are non-crystalline, non-linear viscoelastic materials, and their mechanical properties change continuously while in service. This paper describes how damage occurs in these materials, demonstrates how it can be detected, and provides a methodology for addressing these failures.