Citation: Gao, X.; Umair, M.; Nawab,
Y.; Latif, Z.; Ahmad, S.; Siddique, A.;
Yang, H. Mode I Fatigue of Fibre
Reinforced Polymeric Composites:
A Review. Polymers 2022, 14, 4558.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
polym14214558
Academic Editor: Marcin Masłowski
Received: 20 September 2022
Accepted: 24 October 2022
Published: 27 October 2022
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Review
Mode I Fatigue of Fibre Reinforced Polymeric Composites:
A Review
Xingzhong Gao
1,2,3
, Muhammad Umair
4
, Yasir Nawab
4
, Zeeshan Latif
4
, Sheraz Ahmad
5
, Amna Siddique
5,
*
and Hongyue Yang
1,2,3
1
School of Textile Science and Engineering, Xi’an Polytechnic University, Xi’an 710048, China
2
Key Laboratory of Functional Textile Material and Product, Xi’an Polytechnic University,
Ministry of Education, Xi’an 710048, China
3
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Advanced Textile Composite Materials, Tiangong University,
Tianjin 300387, China
4
Department of Textile Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology, National Textile University,
Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
5
Department of Textile Technology, School of Engineering and Technology, National Textile University,
Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
* Correspondence: amnasiddique104@hotmail.com
Abstract:
Composites are macroscopic combinations of chemically dissimilar materials preferred
for new high-tech applications where mechanical performance is an area of interest. Mechanical
apprehensions chiefly include tensile, creep, and fatigue loadings; each loading comprises different
modes. Fatigue is cyclic loading correlated with stress amplitude and the number of cycles while
defining the performance of a material. Composite materials are subject to various modes of fatigue
loading during service life. Such loadings cause micro invisible to severe visible damage affecting
the material’s performance. Mode I fatigue crack propagates via opening lamina governing a visible
tear. Recently, there has been an increasing concern about finding new ways to reduce delamination
failure, a life-reducing aspect of composites. This review focuses on mode I fatigue behaviours of
various preforms and factors determining failures considering different reinforcements with respect
to fibres and matrix failures. Numerical modelling methods for life prediction of composites while
subjected to fatigue loading are reviewed. Testing techniques used to verify the fatigue performance
of composite under mode I load are also given. Approaches for composites’ life enhancement
against mode I fatigue loading have also been summarized, which could aid in developing a well-
rounded understanding of mode I fatigue behaviours of composites and thus help engineers to design
composites with higher interlaminar strength.
Keywords: mode I; fatigue behaviour; fibre reinforced polymer composite; strength improvement
1. Introduction
Fibre reinforced composites are now used for emerging structural application areas
such as aerospace, automotive, wind turbine, defense area, marines, civil engineering
and leisure equipment as replacements for conventional metallic materials [
1
–
5
]. Glass
and carbon fibres are the two most common reinforcing components which are used in
fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) composites. The combination of glass and carbon reinforce-
ments with polymer-based matrix results in a wide range of materials that exhibit lighter
weight, high strength, hardness, tolerability, toughness, stiffness and are more resistant
to corrosion and environmental factors. These FRP composites are heterogeneous and
display anisotropic behaviour in nature. As the FRP composites are made up of fibres and
matrix, their mechanical properties are quite different from metallic materials because the
mechanical performance of FRP depends on their constituents. The mechanical properties
of FRPs are primarily based on the strength, modulus and chemical stability of the fibre
and matrix [6].
Polymers 2022, 14, 4558. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14214558 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers
