Abstract
Fatigue tests were carried out on single edge notched specimens of SMC composite under cyclic uniaxial tensile load. AE signals were detected during fatigue tests and the variation of compliance of the specimen was measured. As a result, it was found that the damage near the notch front increases markedly in the first and last stages of the number of load cycles and being less in the intermediate stage. The AE signals were able to classify into two groups by the spectrum analysis of the AE signals. One can be the signals which arise from the damage growth and the other the signals of the damage closure. Finally, on the basis of the assumption of a linear relationship between the compliance and the accumulated AE energy corresponding to damage growth, the variation of compliance was predicted. Good agreement was found between the measured and predicted compliances.
