RESEARCH PAPER
Optical Determination of Mechanical and Strength Properties of Epoxy Bidirectional Composite Materials Reinforced with Glass and Carbon Using Digital Image Correlation
1
Department of Production Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Poland
Submission date: 2026-05-29
Final revision date: 2026-07-12
Acceptance date: 2026-07-24
Publication date: 2026-09-25
Corresponding author
Krzysztof CIECIELĄG
Department of Production Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Nadbystrzycka 36, 20 - 618, Lublin, Poland
Department of Production Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Nadbystrzycka 36, 20 - 618, Lublin, Poland
Acta Mechanica et Automatica 2026;20(3):705-713
HIGHLIGHTS
- DIC enables the determination of the properties of polymer composites
- Young's modulus of CFRP is three times higher than that of GFRP
- CFRP have higher strength than GFRP
- Shear modulus of CFRP is 50% higher than that of GFRP
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study presents a comprehensive experimental characterization of autoclave-cured bidirectional GFRP and CFRP laminates. Since prepreg manufacturers typically provide only limited information on the properties of the final cured laminates, experimental characterization is necessary to obtain the engineering constants required for finite element modeling. The experimental program enables a consistent comparison of the mechanical and strength properties of both composite systems under identical manufacturing and testing conditions. Due to the anisotropic nature of composites, the mechanical properties were determined in the principal material directions corresponding to the fiber orientation. Material specimens were prepared for testing in accordance with standards for tensile (ASTM D3039), compressive (ASTM D6641), and shear (ASTM D3518) testing. The specimens were made from prepregs, which were then cured in an autoclave. Mechanical tests were conducted using the non-contact Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique on a testing machine. Using this optical technique, displacements and strains in composite specimens can be measured. Based on the recorded strain fields, stress-strain characteristics were determined and used to define the material parameters. Tests of mechanical and strength properties allowed for the determination of Young’s modulus, shear modulus, Poisson’s ratio, as well as tensile, compressive, and shear strengths. The obtained results form the basis for further numerical analyses and the validation of computational models.
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| ISSN: | 1898-4088 |
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