Evaluation of Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Glass Evaluation of Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Glass

Developing efficient wind mill blades with high toughness and good fatigue life is one of the main engineering challenges for wind energy sector globally. FRP is commonly used in aerospace, manufacturing of auto ancillary parts, marine, and construction industries. Large wind mill blades are made of glass fiber/epoxy composites to achieve highspecific stiffness, strength and good fracture toughness. While operating, the wind mill blades are subjected to significant stress. These composite blades fail due to fiber/matrix delamination and cracking. Significant technical advances can be achieved by adding nano clay with glass fiber/epoxy composite. Toughness test (mode I) to understand the interlaminar fracture conducted on the double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen reveals that the inclusion of nano clay can appreciably increase the fracture toughness of the glass fiber/epoxy composite.