Fracture behavior of woven steel fiber reinforced and sand particle filled polymer composites

Woven steel fiber reinforced with various weight fractions and particle-filled polymer composite beams were manufactured. After cure treatments, initial notches with various notch-to-depth ratios a/W = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 were opened on the specimens. The fiber contents were 2%, 4% and 6%, and the polyester content was 16.5% of the total weight of the polymer composite system. Mode I fracture behavior of single edge notched composite specimens were investigated using three-point bending (TPB) tests. The critical stress intensity factors, (KIC) of these specimens were determined by using several methods such as J-integral, initial notch depth and compliance method, and the results were compared. As the weight fractions of steel fibers increases, both KIC and flexural strength of the composites increases.