Temperature-dependent constant fatigue life diagram for press-formed short carbon fiber reinforced polyamide composite

Fatigue strength of a short carbon fiber reinforced polyamide (SCF/PA) composite fabricated using a press forming technique is examined. Unlike an injection-molded SCF/PA composite, this one exhibits in-plane isotropy as well as through-thickness uniformity. Fatigue tests on the SCF/PA composite are carried out at different stress ratios and temperatures, respectively. The fatigue test results show that the S–N relationship for the SCF/PA composite significantly depends on stress ratio, and fatigue degradation occurs most rapidly at the critical stress ratio, regardless of test temperature. The fatigue stress for a given life decreases with temperature. The reduction in fatigue strength with temperature correlates well with the reduction in static strength with temperature. Accordingly, the effect of temperature on fatigue life for each of different constant values of stress ratio can approximately be removed by normalizing fatigue stress with respect to static strength. The full shape of constant fatigue life diagram for the press-formed SCF/PA composite is identified for each of different test temperatures. It is shown to incline toward the direction of positive mean stress, regardless of test temperature. A difference in shape of CFL diagram between the press-formed and injection-molded composites is addressed. This study demonstrates that the anisomorphic constant life diagram approach with temperature as the parameter allows adequately predicting the constant fatigue life diagram and thus the S–N curve for the SCF/PA composite over the whole range of mean stress at any temperature in the tested range.