The Effect of Weave Distortion on the Physical Properties and Reliability of Composite Structures

When fabrics are woven the yarns in one direction go over and under the yarns in the other direction so that the yarns follow an "S" shaped path known as weave distortion. This distortion is a direct cause of a unique kind of localized stress known as "kink stress". Kink stress can and does contribute to the premature failure of composite structures. This paper will demonstrate the existence of kink stress and show that it can reduce the strength and reliability of a composite structure.