Abstract:
A three-dimensional representative volume element (RVE) micromechanical model is proposed for estimating the effective macroscopic mechanical properties of continuous bidirectional-fiber-reinforced composites by homogenization finite element method. Both the fiber and the matrix in a composite are assumed to be perfectly elastic until reaches tensile strength. The influence of the ratios of fiber/matrix modulus and the fiber volume ratio on the effective modulus and the tensile strength are specifically investigated, and cohesive zone model is introduced to analyze the influence of the interfacial properties on overall mechanical properties.The results showed that the poisson's ratio of fiber has a little effect on mechanics performance of composite; the modulus of fiber is also has a little effect on tensile strength and out-of-plane modulus, while play a more important role in determining in-plane modulus. With an increase in the fiber volume fraction, the in-plane tensile strengths and modulus increase sharply while the out-of-plane tensile strength decreases slightly. The tensile strength of the composite will be reduced because of the existence of interface.