Abstract
Fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) composites and ceramic matrix composites (CMC) which contain electrically conductive phases have been designed and fabricated to introduce the detection capability of damage/fracture detection into these materials. The composites were made electrically conductive by adding carbon and TiN particles into FRP and CMC, respectively. The resistance of the conductive FRP containing carbon particles showed almost linear response to strain and high sensitivity over a wide range of strains. After each load-unload cycle the FRP retained a residual resistance, which increased with applied maximum stress or strain. The FRP with carbon particles embedded in cement (mortar) specimens enabled micro-crack formation and propagation in the mortar to be detected in situ. The CMC materials exhibited not only sensitive response to the applied strain but also an increase in resistance with increasing number of load-unload cycles during cyclic load testing. These results show that it is possible to use these composites to detect and/or fracture in structural materials, which are required to monitor the healthiness or safety in industrial applications and public constructions.