Investigating the microcracking behaviour of a commercial epoxy matrix under cryogenic conditions
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are increasingly being adopted in cryogenic applications, particularly in zero-emission aviation and lightweight liquid hydrogen storage. This study examines the susceptibility of a commercial epoxy infusion matrix to cracking under cryogenic conditions using in-situ characterisation techniques. At cryogenic temperatures, the CFRP exhibits a 76% reduction in stress at first crack, while, in contrast, the fracture toughness of the neat epoxy increases considerably. To investigate this, we report for the first time the use of cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) to visualise in-situ microscale damage evolution in an epoxy CFRP under controlled temperature change. Differences in microstructural damage development between slow and rapid cooling provide new insight into cryogenic damage processes. The findings underscore the critical role of thermally induced local stresses in driving microcracking in CFRPs.
Date Issued
2025-12-01
Date Acceptance
2025-07-17
Citation
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2025, 199
ISSN
1359-835X
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Volume
199
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
10.1016/j.compositesa.2025.109190
Subjects
Composites: Part A Polymer matrix composite
Microcracking
Cryo-scanning electron microscopy
Cryogenic applications
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
109190
Date Publish Online
2025-07-19