Fracture toughness of high‐performance short fibre polyamide‐based composites at low and high loading rates

In the automotive industry, the use of thermoplastic polymeric materials to replace metals in many structural parts (that is metal replacement) constitutes a great opportunity to reduce weight, cost and production times. For metal replacement uses, a polymeric material must provide a proper balance of thermo‐mechanical properties and processability, which is fulfilled by high performance short fibre polyamide‐based composites. The outstanding properties of these materials are the result of the combination of a high content of fibres with last‐generation polyamide matrices. In view of their applications, fracture toughness is a key‐property for the material selection procedures and the design of components