Spherical indentation of composite laminates with controlled gradients in elastic anisotropy

Three-dimensional elastic analyses and experiments of indentation of thick laminated plates of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy are presented. Pointwise, the material is characterized as a linear elastic orthotropic material. The in-plane orientation of the carbon fibers is systematically varied as a function of depth. The influence of fiber orientation as a function of depth on the indentation response is considered along with the relationship between the indenter force vs depth. The fiber orientation profiles considered are those of a continuous linear variation between 90° at the outer surfaces and 0° at the center plane of the laminate, and a cross ply laminate involving alternating 90° and 0° layers through thickness. Experimentally, it is found that for the case of a cross-ply laminate, the indentation produces delaminations localized at the interfaces that separate planes of dissimilar orientation. For this case, stress concentrations at interfaces between plies of dissimilar orientation coincide with the observed sites of delamination. For the graded case, evidence of enhanced nonlinear deformation is found, without the nucleation of cracks. Computations show that for the graded material, tensile stresses perpendicular to fibers are suppressed significantly, possibly explaining the absence of matrix cracks in this material. Measured and computed indenter force-depth variations were found to be in good agreement. Experiments and computations also reveal that the orientation-graded material is more compliant when subjected to indentation than the conventional cross-ply laminate.     

Micro-stress prediction in composite laminates with high stress gradients

The objective of this research is to develop a macroscopic theory, which can provide the connection between macro-mechanics and micro-mechanics in characterizing the micro-stress of composite laminates in regions of high macroscopic stress gradients. The micro-polar theory, a class of higher-order elasticity theory, of composite laminate mechanics is implemented in a well-known Pipes–Pagano free edge boundary problem. The micro-polar homogenization method to determine the micro-polar anisotropic effective elastic moduli is presented. A displacement-based finite element method based on micro-polar theory in anisotropic solids is developed in analyzing composite laminates. The effects of fiber volume fraction and cell size on the normal stress along the artificial interface resulting from ply homogenization of the composite laminate are also investigated. The stress response based on micro-polar theory is compared with those deduced from the micro-mechanics and classical elasticity theory. Special attention of the investigation focuses on the stress fields near the free edge where the high macro-stress gradient occurs. The normal stresses along the artificial interface and especially, the micro-stress along the fiber/matrix interface on the critical cell near the free edge where the high macro-stress gradient detected are the focus of this investigation. These micro-stresses are expected to dominate the failure initiation process in composite laminate. A micro-stress recovery scheme based on micro-polar analysis for the prediction of interface micro-stresses in the critical cell near the free edge is found to be in very good agreement with “exact” micro-stress solutions. It is demonstrated that the micro-polar theory is able to capture the micro-stress accurately from the homogenized solutions.     

The multi-fracture response of cross-ply ceramic composites

The mechanical response of cross-ply SiC/CAS ceramic matrix composites was investigated experimentally and analytically. The experiments consisted of recording stress-strain behavior, counting matrix cracks and measuring the interlaminar shearing strength. The analysis employed an extended shear-lag model which incorporated non-linear behavior of the 0° plies and interlaminar slip between the 0 and 90° plies. The evolution of the multi-cracking process was determined by means of fracture criterion, leading to the prediction of the overall stress-strain response of the cross-ply laminate.     

Effect of damping on dynamic behavior of a piezothermoelastic laminate considering the effects of transverse shear

In this paper, we analyze dynamic behavior of a piezothermoelastic laminate considering the effect of damping due to interlaminar shear and the effect of transverse shear. The analytical model is a rectangular laminate composed of fiber-reinforced laminae and piezoelectric layers. The model is assumed to be a symmetric cross-ply laminate with all egdes simply supported and to be subjected to mechanical, thermal and electrical loads varying arbitrarily with time. Behavior of the laminate is analyzed based on the first-order shear deformation theory. The effect of damping due to interlaminar shear is incorporated into our analysis by introducing the interlaminar shear stresses which satisfy the Newton’s law of viscosity. Solutions of the following quantities are obtained: (1) natural frequencies of the laminate, (2) weight functions for the deflection and rotations and (3) unsteady deflection due to loads varying arbitrarily with time. Moreover, numerical examples of the solutions are shown to examine the effects of damping and transverse shear on dynamic behavior of the laminate and how the voltage applied to the laminate decreases the deflection due to mechanical or thermal loads.     

大开口复合材料层合板强度破坏研究

复合材料层合板的各向异性及非均质,使得复合材料层合板内部的破坏形式非常复杂.在复合材料结构的设计中,为满足制造及使用功能上的需求,在复合材料层合板承力结构件上不可避免地需要设计各种开口.然而,含大开口复合材料层合板的强度破坏问题变得更为复杂,使得现有的强度理论面临新的挑战.针对碳纤维增强复合材料大开口层合板受单向拉伸载荷作用下的强度破坏问题进行了数值分析和实验研究.首先,根据Hashin准则和刚度退化模型,对含不同圆形开口尺寸的[0]_(10)单向铺层、[0/90]_5和[±45]_5正交铺层的层合板,进行了单向拉伸载荷作用下渐进失效的数值模拟分析,获得了对应结构的极限载荷和破坏模式.在此基础上,采用数字图像相关方法,进行复合材料大开口层合板强度破坏的实验研究.研究结果表明,大开口复合材料层合板在单向拉伸加载下主要呈现脆性破坏形式,破坏起始位置处于应力集中区.此外,破坏强度和失效模式与复合材料铺层方式和开口尺寸大小密切相关.其中[±45]_5铺层的开口层合板承载能力最弱,分层破坏最严重.开口尺寸越大,结构的极限载荷值越低.同实验测试结果相比,数值模拟对复合材料层合板的损伤失效分析略显不足,往往很难全面分析复合材料层合板破坏失效过程中的各种因素的影响.     

Singular full-field stresses in composite laminates with open holes

A method of the superposition of a hybrid and displacement approximation was developed to provide the accurate stress fields in a multilayered composite laminate, including the singular neighborhood of the ply interface and the hole edge. Asymptotic analysis was used to derive the hybrid stress functions. The displacement approximation is based on the polynomial B-spline functions. The method provides the determination of the coefficient of the singular term along with convergent stress components including the singular regions. Reissner’s variational principle was employed. Simple [45/−45]_s and quasi-isotropic IM7/5250 [45/90/−45/0]_s laminates were analyzed. Uniaxial loading and residual stress calculation (quasi-isotropic laminate) were considered. A convergence study showed that accurate values of the coefficient of the singular term of the asymptotic stress expansion could be obtained with coarse out-of-plane and in-plane subdivisions. The interaction between the singular terms on the neighboring interfaces was found to be important for the convergence with coarse subdivisions. Converged transverse interlaminar stress components as a function of the distance from the hole edge, were shown for all examples.     

Effect of transverse cracks on the effective thermal expansion coefficient of aged angle-ply composites laminates

A modified shear-lag analysis, taking into account the concept of stress perturbation function, is developed and applied to evaluate the effect of transverse cracks on the effective thermal expansion coefficient of aged angle-ply composites laminates. Effects of number of 90° layers and number of θ° layers in the outer angle-ply laminates on the reduction of the effective axial coefficient of thermal expansion have also been studied. The results of this paper represent well the dependence of the reduction of the effective axial coefficient of thermal expansion on the hygrothermal conditions, the fibre orientation angle of the outer layers, the number of cracked cross-ply layers and the number of un-cracked outer θ° layers in laminate.     

On the birefringent-coating method of stress analysis for fiber-reinforced laminated composites

A general relation based upon laminated-plate theory is developed which relates the state of stress throughout the thickness of the fiber-reinforced composite laminate to experimentally determined surface strains. The usefulness of the developed relation is discussed through an example given for a typical graphite-epoxy structural laminate. Birefringent coatings employed as a method to determine laminate surface strains are investigated. Isochromatic disturbances in the vicinity of a laminate free-edge, due to a Poisson's ratio mismatch between coating and laminate and interlaminar stress transfer between discrete lamina of the laminate, are investigated through exact elasticity solutions.     

Delamination initiation of laminates with pin-loaded holes

A finite element analysis is conducted to determine the three-dimensional stress field in a composite laminate with a pin-loaded hole. The accuracy of computation is established by comparison with the strain gauge measurements near and away from the hole boundary. An acoustic emission technique was used to determine the initial failure load as the specimen was subjected to a quasi-static loading rate. Specimens were examined between the load steps using radiography and micrography in order to detect delamination initiation. The delamination initiation site and the corresponding load level are predicted by applying the strain energy density criterion. The critical parameters were extracted from the experimental measurements and finite element analysis of a double cantilever beam specimen. The analysis predictions indicate that delaminations could initiate close to the free surface at the interface between layers with a fiber orientation of ±45° relative to the load direction. These predictions confirm the experimental observations.     

Effect of transverse cracks on the mechanical properties of angle-ply composites laminates

A modified shear lag analysis, taking into account the notion of stress perturbation function, is employed to evaluate the effect of transverse cracks on the stiffness reduction in [±θ_n/90_m]_S angle-ply laminated composites. Effects of number of 90° layers and number of ±θ layers on the laminate stiffness have also been studied. The present results represent well the dependence of the degradation of mechanical properties on the fibre orientation angle of the outer layers, the number of cracked cross-ply layers and the number of uncracked outer ±θ layers in the laminate.     

A homogenization theory for elastic-viscoplastic materials with misaligned internal structures

In this study, a homogenization theory for non-linear time-dependent materials is rebuilt for periodic elastic-viscoplastic materials with misaligned internal structures, by employing a unit cell defined for the aligned structure as an analysis domain. For this, it is shown that the perturbed velocity fields in such materials possess periodicity in the directions of misaligned unit cell arrangement. This periodicity is used as a novel boundary condition for unit cell analysis to rebuild the homogenization theory. The resulting theory is able to deal with arbitrary misalignment using the same unit cell, avoiding not only geometry and mesh generation of a unit cell for every misalignment, but also the influence of mesh dependence. To verify the theory, an elastic-viscoplastic analysis of plain-woven glass fiber/epoxy laminates with misaligned internal structures is performed. It is shown that the misalignment of internal structures affects viscoplastic properties of the plain-woven laminates both macroscopically and microscopically.     

Application of microline/grid methods to temperature dependent microscopic deformation and damage in CFRP laminates

Tensile tests of CFRP symmetric cross-ply laminates are carried out in a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and microscopic interlaminar deformation and damage near the transverse crack tip are visualized by microlines or microgrids printed on the specimen edge surface. The local deformation around the transverse crack tip is observed at 20°C, 80°C, 120°C and 160°C to evaluate the effect of thermal residual stress on the microscopic deformation and damage in the interlaminar region near the transverse crack tip. Temperature dependence of the axial crack opening displacement (COD) is also measured. The displacement field of the specimen edge surface obtained from these experimental results is compared with the theoretical model proposed by Lee, Allen and Harris. The analysis is modified to consider the temperature effect, and a good agreement is obtained between the modified theoretical predictions and experimental results.     

Numerical simulation of fiber reinforced composite materials––two procedures

In this work, two methodologies for the analysis of unidirectional fiber reinforced composite materials are presented.The first methodology used is a generalized anisotropic large strains elasto-plastic constitutive model for the analysis of multiphase materials. It is based on the mixing theory of basic substance. It is the manager of the several constitutive laws of the different compounds and it allows to consider the interaction between the compounds of the composite materials. In fiber reinforced composite materials, the constitutive behavior of the matrix is isotropic, whereas the fiber is considered orthotropic. So, one of the constitutive model used in the mixing theory needs to consider this characteristic. The non-linear anisotropic theory showed in this work is a generalization of the classic isotropic plasticity theory (A Continuum Constitutive Model to Simulate the Mechanical Behavior of Composite Materials, PhD Thesis, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, 2000). It is based in a one-to-one transformation of the stress and strain spaces by means of a four rank tensor.The second methodology used is based on the homogenization theory. This theory divided the composite material problem into two scales: macroscopic and microscopic scale. In macroscopic level the composite material is assuming as a homogeneous material, whereas in microscopic level a unit volume called cell represents the composite (Tratamiento Numérico de Materiales Compuestos Mediante la teorı́ de Homogeneización, PhD Thesis, Universidad Politécnica, de Cataluña 2001). This formulation presents a new viewpoint of the homogenization theory in which can be found the equations that relate both scales. The solution is obtained using a coupled parallel code based on the finite elements method for each scale problem.     

Thermodynamic driving force in ferroelectric crystals with a rank-2 laminated domain pattern, and a study of enhanced electrostriction

The thermodynamic driving force for domain growth in a rank-2 laminated ferroelectric crystal is derived in this article, and we used it, together with a homogenization theory, to study the issue of enhanced electrostrictive actuation recently reported by Burcsu et al. [2004. Large electrostrictive actuation of barium titanate single crystals. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 823-846]. We derived this force from the reduction of Gibbs free energy with respect to the increase of domain concentration. It is shown that both the free energy and the thermodynamic force consist of three parts: the first arises from the difference in M₀ and M₁, the linear electromechanical compliances of the parent and product domains, respectively, at a given level of applied stress and electric field, the second stems from the electromechanical work associated with the change of spontaneous strain and spontaneous polarization during domain switch, and the third from the internal energy due to the distribution of polarizations strain and electric polarization inside the crystal. We prove that the first term is substantially lower than the second one, and the third one is identically zero with compatible domain pattern. The second one is, however, not exactly equal to the commonly written sum of the products of stress with strain, and electric field with polarization during switch, unless both domains have identical moduli in the common global axes. We also show that, with compatible domain patterns and when M₁=M₀, this driving force is identical to Eshelby's driving force acting on a flat interface due to the jump of energy-momentum tensor. Applications of the theory to a BaTiO₃ crystal subjected to a fixed axial compression and decreasing electric field from the [0 0 1] state reveal that the crystal undergoes a three-stage switching process: (i) the 0→90° switch to form a rank-1 laminate, (ii) the 0→180° switch inside the 0° domain to form a laminate I with a concurrent 90°→−90° switch inside the 90° domain to form laminate II, creating a rank-2-laminated domain pattern, and (iii) finally the 90→180° switch. It is the exchange of stability between the 0, 90°, and 180° domains under compression and electric field that is the origin of the enhanced actuation. We illustrate these intrinsic features by showing the evolution of these domains, and demonstrate how the reported large actuation strain can be attained with a rank-2 laminate.     

Deformation of Cross-Ply Composite Laminates with Cracked Ceramic Matrix

The deformation of cross-ply ceramic-matrix composite laminates under biaxial loading is studied theoretically. Experimentally, microscopic damage evolution in cross-ply ceramic-matrix composite laminates has not been well characterized yet, mainly due to the difficulties involved in testing of anisotropic plates under biaxial loading. It is assumed that the initial damage mechanism observed in ceramic-matrix composite laminates is the formation of tunneling macrocracks both in the 90°- and 0°-plies. The paper addresses the stiffness-deterioration behavior of cross-ply ceramic-matrix laminates with transverse and longitudinal macrocracks. The analysis is based on the equivalent-constraint model of a damaged laminate. Numerical results for SiC/CAS cross-ply laminates of various lay-ups are presented and discussed__________Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 37–46, January 2005.     

3-D numerical study on the bending of symmetric composite laminates

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Interlaminar hygrothermal stresses in laminated plates

Within the elasticity formulation the most general displacement field for hygrothermal problems of long laminated composite plates is presented. The equivalent single-layer theories are then employed to determine the global deformation parameters appearing in the displacement fields of general cross-ply, symmetric, and antisymmetric angle-ply laminates under thermal and hygroscopic loadings. Reddy’s layerwise theory is subsequently used to determine the local deformation parameters of various displacement fields. An elasticity solution is also developed in order to validate the efficiency and accuracy of the layerwise theory in predicting the interlaminar normal and shear stress distributions. Finally, various numerical results are presented for edge-effect problems of several cross-ply, symmetric, and antisymmetric angle-ply laminates subjected to uniform hygrothermal loads. All results indicate high stress gradients of interlaminar normal and shear stresses near the edges of laminates.     

A homogenization theory for time-dependentnonlinear composites with periodic internal structures

A homogenization theory for time-dependent deformation such as creep andviscoplasticity of nonlinear composites with periodic internal structures is developed. To beginwith, in the macroscopically uniform case, a rate-type macroscopic constitutive relation betweenstress and strain and an evolution equation of microscopic stress are derived by introducing twokinds of Y-periodic functions, which are determined by solving two unit cell problems.Then, the macroscopically nonuniform case is discussed in an incremental form using thetwo-scale asymptotic expansion of field variables. The resulting equations are shown to beeffective for computing incrementally the time-dependent deformation for which the history ofeither macroscopic stress or macroscopic strain is prescribed. As an application of the theory,transverse creep of metal matrix composites reinforced undirectionally with continuous fibers isanalyzed numerically to discuss the effect of fiber arrays on the anisotropy in such creep.     

纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料疲劳迟滞回线模型研究

纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料初始加载到疲劳峰值应力时, 基体出现裂纹, 纤维/基体界面发生脱粘. 在疲劳载荷作用下, 纤维相对基体在界面脱粘区往复滑移使得陶瓷基复合材料出现疲劳迟滞现象. 建立了纤维陶瓷基复合材料疲劳迟滞回线细观力学模型, 采用断裂力学方法确定了初始加载纤维/基体界面脱粘长度、卸载界面反向滑移长度与重新加载新界面滑移长度, 分析了4种不同界面滑移情况的疲劳迟滞回线. 假设正交铺设与编织陶瓷基复合材料疲劳迟滞回线主要受0°铺层、轴向纱线内纤维/基体界面滑移的影响, 预测了单向、正交铺设与编织陶瓷基复合材料在不同峰值应力与不同循环的疲劳迟滞回线, 与试验结果吻合.      

Steady-state aeroelasticity of fluid flow over a laminated composite plate

A stress-function-based variational approach is used to determine the interlaminar stresses in a multilayered strip of laminate subject to arbitrary combinations of axial extension, bending, and the steady-state aerodynamic loading of fluid flow over the upper surface of laminated composite plate. Symmetric four-layer, cross-ply and angle-ply laminates are considered in details. Some numerical solutions by using a personal computer are obtained. The present results for four-layer laminates show that the aerodynamic loading has significant effects on the interlaminar stresses near the free-edge regions.