Experimental Study of Time-dependent Failure of High Strain Composites

High strain composites for coilable space structures can undergo micro-structural changes in the time period between stowage and deployment. These changes include the accumulation of residual stresses in response to curvature changes (stress-relaxation) and accumulation of damage, which may lead to rupture of high strain composites. Currently, the mechanisms that cause damage growth and failure are not well understood. In this study, new experimental approaches are explored for applying constant curvature changes, that replicate the stowage conditions while imaging the evaluation of cracks on the compression surface and of damage in the micro-structure of the test sample. The test temperature is raised to accelerate the failure process.