Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
The mechanisms associated with cycle-by-cycle damage accumulation resulting in fatigue crack propagation between a highly constrained polymer layer and an adjacent elastic substrate are explored. Specifically, cyclic fatigue-induced crack growth between a bisphenol F model epoxy system and a passivated silicon substrate under Mode I loading is reported. Preliminary findings regarding the effects of fatigue load ratio on interfacial crack growth rates are presented. While intermediate crack growth rates were significantly accelerated under cyclic loading, the near-threshold crack growth behavior under cyclic and monotonic loading was surprisingly similar.