Effect of Random Fiber Distribution on Certain Failure Initiation in Composites

摘要

This paper investigates the effects of random fiber distribution on certain failure initiation as well as overall mechanical properties. A modified multi-fiber 'representative volume element' (RVE) is employed to compute the exact effective properties in homogenized fibrous composites, and to uniquely recover the micro-fields at the fiber-matrix scale from the computed composite macro-fields in load-carrying structures. With the recovered micro-fields for a composite endowed with random fiber array, an inter-scale failure theory is then applied to predict the initiation of matrix tensile failures. A classical problem: the 90°-compact tension specimen with or without a side-crack, is studied as a numerical example; the results obtained for a composite with random array are compared with those for a composite with regular array.