Time to failure modeling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites subject to simultaneous tension and one-sided heat flux

This study focuses on observing and analyzing the time to failure of carbon fiber reinforced polymers subject to mechanical loading and one-sided heat flux simulating fire damage. The purpose of this investigation is to understand the rate of thermal degradation and mechanical property loss from fire exposure, resulting in catastrophic failure under simultaneous tensile loading. Composite samples of varying thicknesses and layup patterns are subject to a constant tensile load below the ultimate strength of the material. A thermal load is applied to one side by an infrared band heater, emitting a constant heat flux. The time to failure is monitored to determine how long the material can withstand this combined loading condition. A consistent trend is observed for various heat flux settings. High mechanical loads contribute to a shorter time to failure, and low mechanical loads contribute to a longer time to failure. Similarly, higher heat flux settings result in shorter failure times, and lower heat flux settings result in longer failure times. Temperature profiles are created based on heat flux exposure time and position through the sample thickness, establishing failure criteria for different loading conditions. The resulting trends are observed and extrapolated to create a predictive model using an Arrhenius exponential decay function.