This experimental study investigated how defects, in particular fiber misalignment, affect the mechanical behavior of glass fiber composites (GFRP) under compressive loading. GFRP cross-plies with three different types of fiber misalignment, namely a fold, a wave, and an in-plane undulation, were fabricated using the resin transfer molding process. The compressive tests were performed at four different temperatures, in order to investigate the role of a change in the matrix properties on the strength of the composite. The experiments showed that the defects, especially at lower temperatures, had a significant impact on the mechanical properties of the composite, exceeding the proportion of the defects inside the composite. With increasing temperature, the damage mechanism changed from fiber-dominated to matrix-dominated and, in doing so, decreased the significance of fiber misalignment for the mechanical behavior.
Keywords: GFRP; defects; glass fibers; mechanical testing; thermoset.