Failure Analysis and Fractography of Polymer Composites

The growing use of polymer composites is leading to an increasing demand for fractographic expertise. Fractography is the study of the fracture surface morphology and is an essential tool for advancing the understanding of confidence in composite structural behavior. Fractography gives an insight into damage mechanisms and underpins the development of physically based failure criteria. It provides a vital link between predictive models and experimental observations. Finally, it is vital for post-mortem analysis of failed or crashed structures, the findings of which are used to optimize future designs. This authoritative reference work provides both an overview of the field and a reference text for engineers.