Fatigue life assessment of metal foils in multifunctional composites via combined experiments and simulations

• Published in: Composites. Part B, Engineering Engineering, 2023-06, Vol.259, p.110715, Article 110715
• Main Authors: Trost, Claus O.W., Žák, Stanislav, Ruderes, Katharina, Hammer, René, Rosc, Jördis, Krivec, Thomas, Schell, Norbert, Gänser, Hans-Peter, Hohenwarter, Anton, Cordill, Megan J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Fatigue; Finite element analysis (FEA); Fractography; Fracture
• ISSN: 1359-8368; 1879-1069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2023.110715

In many applications metal foils are part of multifunctional composites exhibiting a wide range of (thermo-) mechanical fatigue loading. Data about low cycle fatigue of metallic foils subjected to tension-compression fatigue is sparse due to geometric limits. In this contribution, detailed information about design, tension-compression fatigue testing and data extraction of a layered sample are given. Fatigue failure of both copper and Pre-Preg are analysed using scanning electron microscopy and computed tomography. Numerical models are used to calculate the elastic and plastic strains for the copper foils within the composite sample, allowing a correlation to the observed fatigue life. •Fatigue behaviour is crucial to microelectronics, aviation and spacecraft.•A sample enabling R-1 fatigue testing of metallic foils was designed.•Using synchrotron radiation, neglectable residual deviatoric stresses were found.•SEM and CT analysis of fatigued samples were performed.•Finite elements method allowed fatigue life prediction.