Virtual Bookstore Citation Title STATISTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GRAPHITE FIBER FOR PREDICTION OF COMPOSITE STRUCTURE RELIABILITY. Author(s) Engelbert, Carl R. Corporate Author(s) NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA Report Date 6/1/1990 Page Count 87 Abstract The increased use of composite materials in Navy Applications bringswith it the need to know quantitatively the reliability of composite structures.Traditional methods of reliability prediction cannot be used. Therefore,analytical modeling is required, and experimental methods with which to assessthe model are needed. This research refined experimental methods and obtainedbenchmark statistical data on the strength of graphite fibers. With the Chain-of-Bundles local load sharing model, the data were then used as a guide toperform a parametric influence study on the sensitivity of composite structurereliability to the statistical distribution of its constituent graphite fibers.The results indicate a strong influence by the lower tail of the single fiberstatistical distribution, which has important implications for design,acceptance testing, and other Navy procurement functions. Price: Available from National Technical Information Service (NTIS). http://www.ntis.gov   Prices are plus sales tax when purchased within New York State and shipping charges, if applicable