Damage of hybrid composites under long term hygrothermal loading and stacking sequence

The exposure of polymeric composite matrix to a cyclic moist environment produces transient residual stresses extremely important at the edges of the laminated plates, particularly at first times. In cases of critical cyclic environmental conditions, the damage of composites becomes very probable, so durability is intensively reduced. To avoid the damage probability, and to reduce the transient hygrothermal stresses, in our paper the hybrid composites with optimal stacking sequences are used. The first aim of this paper is the determination of hygrothermal characteristics for balanced stacking sequences θ/−θ]_nS. Therefore, in order to locate the favourite directions of each stacking sequence, the polar representation method is adopted. The suitable choice of hygrothermal characteristics, allows thereafter, the reduction of transient hygrothermal stresses. By using the quadratic failure criterion in stress space, the transient strength ratio is evaluated at first ply of the hybrid plate for each sequences θ/−θ]_nS from initial time until saturation time. Avoid the damage probability is reached by the reduction of transient hygrothermal stresses along the thickness of the hybrid plate. To locate the minimal and maximal stresses, a progressive variation of the relationship between the thicknesses h₁ and h₂ of hybrid composites constituents AS3501 and T300/5208 was carried out. In this way five cases are proposed, on which, the thickness of each material varies gradually, but the total thickness of our plate remains constant. This procedure permits us to find the best configuration which will offer favourable conditions of services, i.e., to predict a considerable reduction of hygrothermal transverse stresses at both edges of the hybrid plate.