Predicting the onset of delamination in layered fiber-reinforced composites

In this paper, composite structures are considered which consist of several layers of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP). For such layered composite structures, delamination constitutes one of the major failure modes and hence predicting its initiation is essential for their design. Evaluating stress-strength relation based onset criteria requires an accurate representation of the through-the-thickness stress distribution, which can be particularly delicate in the case of shell-like structures. Thus, in this paper, a solid-shell finite element is utilized, which allows for incorporating a fully three-dimensional material model, still being suited for application to thin structures. Moreover, locking phenomena are cured by using both the EAS and the ANS concept, and numerical efficiency is ensured through reduced integration. The proposed anisotropic material model accounts for the material's micro-structure by using the concept of structural tensors. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Averaging the electrical properties of fiber-reinforced metal composites

Using the regular structure model, we average the electrical properties of unidirectional fiber-reinforced metal composites and propose procedures for determination of the effective electrical conductivity tensor of these materials. For the general case of packing of fibers of arbitrary cross section, the problem is reduced to calculation of some functionals determined in solutions of the integral equation of the corresponding boundary current problem for the structure. In the special case of symmetric packing of fibers of circular cross section, the solution is written in the form of series in elliptic functions.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 533–539, July–August, 1995.     

Averaging the electrical properties of fiber-reinforced metal composites with hollow fibers

We consider the problem of determining the effective electrical conductivity tensor of a metal composite with ideal (biperiodic) packing of the fibers. We assume that the transverse cross sections of the fiber are concentric circular rings and have identical electrical conductivity. We look for a solution in the form of a series in Weierstrassian elliptic functions with subsequent averaging of the electrical properties of the structure.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 377–383, May–June, 1997.     

Effect of Coulomb friction on the fiber/matrix debonding and matrix cracking in unidirectional fiber-reinforced brittle-matrix composites

A model for a macroscopic crack transverse to bridging fibers is developed based upon the Coulomb friction law, instead of the hypothesis of a constant frictional shear stress usually assumed in fiber/matrix debonding and matrix cracking analyses. The Lamé formulation, together with the Coulomb friction law, is adopted to determine the elastic states of fiber/matrix stress transfer through a frictionally constrained interface in the debonded region, and a modified shear lag model is used to evaluate the elastic responses in the bonded region. By treating the debonding process as a particular problem of crack propagation along the interface, the fracture mechanics approach is adopted to formulate a debonding criterion allowing one to determine the debonding length. By using the energy balance approach, the critical stress for propagating a semi-infinite fiber-bridged crack in a unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite is formulated in terms of friction coefficient and debonding toughness. The critical stress for matrix cracking and the corresponding stress distributions calculated by the present Coulomb friction model is compared with those predicted by the models of constant frictional shear stress. The effect of Poisson contraction caused by the stress re distribution between the fiber and matrix on the matrix cracking mechanics is shown and discussed in the present analysis. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 171–190, March–April, 2007.     

Internal instability of laminated composites with a metal matrix

Conclusions The constructed characteristic determinant for a three-dimensional nonaxisymmetric problem in the theory of stability of laminated composites with a metal matrix coincides with the characteristic determinant for the axisymmetric problem with the corresponding substitution of the wave parameters. The solution of the characteristic equation for a real material shows that loss of stability according to the different forms and for different values of deformation and the oscillation parameter as a function of the concentration of filler is possible.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 6, pp. 1051–1056, November–December, 1990.     

Pultrusion mechanics of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

The associated problem of the rheology of a thermoplastic polymer melt during the pultrusion of fiber-reinforced composites in a plane-slotted die is resolved. The permeabilities of a stochastic fibrous system are determined for the case of a nonlinear (exponential) rheological model of the melt. The pressure distribution in the pultrusion tool is calculated with allowance for the permeability of the fibrous system. The dependence of the pultrusion force on the viscous properties of the melt and on the pull rate of the fibrous layer is established.Paper to be presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October, 1995.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 547–554, July–August, 1995.     

Estimation of interface damage of fiber-reinforced composites

The estimation of interface damage of fiber-reinforced composites based on the propagation constants of coherent waves is studied in this paper. First, the relation between the interface damage and the propagation constants is investigated by using the theory of multiple scattering. Next, single and multiple scatterings in the composites in the case of incident P, SV, and SH waves are considered. The propagation constants of coherent waves are computed numerically, and the influence of interface damage on them is discussed. Then, based on the relation between the propagation constants and the interface damage, an inverse method to estimate the interface damage is proposed. Finally, a numerical example is given. The numerical results are obtained by using synthetic experimental data and the genetic algorithm. It is shown by the numerical example that the interface damage can be approximately estimated from the wave propagation constants measured with various degrees of accuracy.     

Incremental self-consistent approach for the estimation of nonlinear material behavior of metal matrix composites

The application of homogenization methods to compute the macroscopic material response of metal matrix composites is a possibility to save memory and computation time in comparison to full field simulations. This paper deals with a method to extend the self-consistent scheme from linear elasticity theory to nonlinear problems. The idea is to approximate the nonlinear problem by an incrementally linear one. Since time discretization of the deformation process implies a certain linearization, we use the algorithmic consistent tangent operator of the composite for defining the linear comparison material in each time step. This is in contrast to classical incremental self-consistent approaches which use continuum tangent or secant operators. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Interlaminar fracture toughness of graphite fiber-reinforced polyimide composites

Conclusion The present study has proved the effectiveness of the application of viscoelastic polymers with increased fracture toughness to graphite/polyimide composites interlaminar fracture toughness improvement. Thermoplastic polysulphone film and thermoresistant structural adhesive have proved to be inherently more effective for composites' delamination resistance growth than maleimide resin toughening and structural modification. The former inevitably results in increase of the honeycomb delamination resistance (Fig. 1) and its durability.Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 30, No. 6, pp. 848–852, November–December, 1994.     

Inelastic deformation and fracture of disordered fiber-reinforced composites

Conclusions Simulation of the process of nonlinear deformation and failure in the structure of a unidirectional epoxy glass plastic under transverse loading has indicated that equilibrium regions of failure receiving only hydrostatic compressive loading may form. The development of this region explains the high (up to 40%) nonlinearity of deformation diagrams under transverse biaxial compressive loading. The regions of nonlinear deformation of the epoxy matrix affect less markedly the nonlinearity of the macroscopic s* diagrams. This fact and also the formation and avalanchelike propagation of regions of complete failure explain the linear form of many diagrams corresponding to tensile and shear loading in the transverse plane. The relations of the nonlinear theory of elasticity make it possible to describe with sufficient accuracy the entire set of the calculated diagrams.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 621–628, September–October, 1993.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 621–628, September–October, 1993.     

Analysis of elastomeric composites based on fiber-reinforced systems 3. Two-directional composites

Results of investigation of deformation of elastomeric composite materials with a two-directional reinforcement scheme are presented. The study is performed on the basis of a structural macroscopic theory. The matrix of the composites analyzed is of a poorly compressible material. The fibers of both reinforcing systems are simulated as compressible bodies. Dependences of the parameters of tensile and shear strains on the strain values for different geometries of fiber arrangement are obtained.State Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 4, pp. 479–492, May–June, 1999.     

Micro-macro modelling of fiber reinforced composites exhibiting elastoplastic deformation

Fiber reinforced plastics such as carbon fiber-reinforced composites are typically characterized by their high siffness to weight ratio making them particularly attractive in lightweight construction. In addition, the architecture of these materials means that the correct modelling of their orthotropy is very important. In this work, volume averaged stress-strain responses are generated from a micro representative volume element (RVE). A nonlinear macro constitutive material model accounting for anisotropic plasticity is proposed. The model is fitted and compared to the micro stress-strain response. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Dynamic response of fiber-reinforced composite plates

The dynamic stability of orthotropic thick plates subjected to a periodic uniaxial stress and a bending stress is investigated. Both the rotary inertia and the transverse stress are considered in the investigation. The governing equations of motion of Mathieu type are established by applying the Galerkin method with reduced eigenfunction transforms. Based on Bolotin’s method, the dynamic instability regions of graphite- and glass-fiber-reinforced plates are evaluated by solving eigenvalue problems. A dynamic instability index is defined and used as an instability measure to study the influence of various parameters. The effects of material properties and load parameters on the instability region and on the index of dynamic instability of orthotropic plates are discussed.     

Analysis of elastomeric composites based on fiber-reinforced systems. 2. Unidirectional composites

The elastic properties of unidirectionally reinforced composite materials under large deformations are studied. The applied model for deformation of materials is based on the structural macroscopic theory of stiff and soft composites, including micro- and macromechanical levels of analysis of composite media. The properties of unidirectional elastomeric composites are studied in tension and shear in the plane of reinforcement. The microscopic fields in the structural components of composites having poorly compressible and compressible matrices are also analyzed. Changes in the parameters of macroscopic deformation of the composites are examined as functions of the loading parameters and initial conditions of the structure. The evolution of the structural changes in deformed composite materials is described.State Metallurgical Academy of Ukraine, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 29–50, January–February, 1999.