Abstract
Despite the crucial significance of failure prediction in composites, such an objective remains challenging, even in unidirectional (UD) systems. A strength model for UD composites was used that has great versatility in handling various matrix and fibre behaviours. This model includes a simplified superposition principle that was found to be reliable in predicting stress concentration factors irrespective of the presence of matrix cracks. The model revealed the negligible influence of matrix cracks on stress concentrations, ineffective length, cluster development and failure strain. The presence of matrix cracks can therefore be safely neglected in models for UD composites. This information is important for experimental validations and for advancing the state of the art in strength models for UD composites.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 16-22 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Composites Science and Technology |
| Volume | 108 |
| Early online date | 9 Jan 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Feb 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Date of Acceptance: 03/01/2015Acknowledgements
The work leading to this publication has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the topic NMP-2009-2.5-1, as part of the project HIVOCOMP (Grant Agreement No. 246389). The authors thank the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT) for a PhD. grant and FWO Flanders for a travel grant to Y. Swolfs. The authors also thank A.R. Melro and P. Camanho for the permission to use their random fibre packing generator. I. Verpoest holds the Toray Chair in Composite Materials at KU Leuven. We acknowledge support from the UCSB Center for Scientific Computing at CNSI, the UCSB MRL: an NSF MRSEC (DMR-1121053) and NSF Grant CNS-0960316.
Keywords
- A. Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs)
- B. Matrix cracking
- C. Probabilistic methods
- C. Stress concentrations