Modeling cure induced damage in fiber reinforced composites

摘要

A novel computational model is introduced to analyze the effect of the curing process on the subsequent mechanical response of fiber reinforced composite structures. Evaluations are made at the microscale where representative volume elements (RVEs) are analyzed with periodic boundary conditions (PBCs) using the finite element (FE) method. The commercial software ABAQUS is used as a solver, supplemented by user written subroutines. The transition from a continuum to damage and failure is effected by using the Crack Band model which preserves mesh objectivity. Results are presented for a hexagonal packed RVE whose matrix portion is first subjected to curing and subsequently to mechanical loading. The effect of the fiber packing randomness on the microstructure is analyzed. It is noted that throughout the analysis, the possibility of failure is accommodated, i.e. failure can take place during the cure cycle and prior to application of mechanical loads under appropriate external conditions.