Materials and Strucures rain

tensile strai of the cor

Composite
Z 6 Mechanics of when the
longitudinal
tensile
strenotPOsite

fails longitudinal of the

lamina Then, the
unidirectional posite matrix.
The strain of the
longitudinal
attains the ultima
composite is approximately
written ass
(10.6)
FiraV, + Fm
where matrix
the tensile strength of the
reached
strain is
s when the
ultimate
matrix

fibre stress
s the longitudinal

as
1his can be further approximated
(10.7)
r FT |V EfVm
V
statistically
distributed, a fact not c o n e i d
.

are
the matrix c a s e of fibre-domina
In tact the strengths of
the fibre and basiIcally a
tensile strength is at its weak points IE
The longitudinal
in the above results 10.2 as broken obviousiy
and
enough to start fracture TS
considered
fibres, one fibre is to a stress high his
strength. Out several of
this breakage of the
fibre is due
t r a n s f e r r e d across the hroi
10.2. The reason of fracture. Stress
must be ken
causes a
of stress
redistribution
around the
shear stress. The longitudinal
interfacial
fl
a high
stress is zero at the break, but gradually
fibres and this is accomplished by
increases
developing to a stress level of any other fibre of the comnoeSing
te
stress drops to zero after traverin
8from the break. The interfacial shear
at a characteristic distance interfacial shear stress in adiaCen
local increase in both fibre stress and cent
this distance 6. There is a
load carrying length is reduced by 26
due to the fibre break. Thus,
if a fibre breaks, its
fibres on the properties
of the constituents0.1 Failure re
Different types of failure will result depending
three ways [Fig. 10.3].
ofcomposites can occur in the matrix will transversely crack.
I. For a brittle matrix and relatively strong interface,
high ultimate fibre strain, fibre-matrix debonding
relatively weak interface and/or relatively
2 For a
wili take place.
conical shear failures in matrix occur.
3. For a relatively ductile matrix and strong interface,
general, adjacent
In fibres arrest localised damage and in the process the ineffective length of
the fibre is increased.
in
of the load, more and more localised failure takes place. This also results
With the increase
the failure of adjacent fibres. All these damaged areas gradually join together as localised falures
interact. Finally, they all are combined to result in the eventual failure. The sequence at waicn
different failure patterns are generated is dependent on the constituent properties and the fibre-volune
ratio.

10.2.2 Longitudinal Compression

A
to
Inattempting to model the unidirectional strength of composites, the first problem 1s no
measure experimentally what is being modelled. Indeed, designers might argue that strucur rarely
experience true compression failures as instability usually precedes compression In recent

years, however, significant advances have been made in an failure. strength

mpressive
ofmaterials104 attempt to deal with compress
 INTERPACIAL
S H E A R S T A R $

AXIAL STRE SS

IN FIBRE

I|L
x

stress distribution
around a fibre break
Fig. 10.2 Local

T TTTTTTTZ77
 MICROBUcKLING MODES

10.4 Out of phase Flg. 10.5 In phase

Fig.
10.4 and
10.5) or kinle
Failure in longitudinal compression is related
to microbuckling (Figs.
of fibres within the matrix. Compressive strength at low fibre-volume ratio is dictated bymking
the
extensional or out-of-phase mode of micro-buckling and is given by

E EV
Rc 2V"s(1 -V,) (10.8)

At higher values of V the failure mode in compression changes and it becomes shear orin
phase mode. The compression strength for higher Vis given by
Fic - G
V (10.9

where G is the shear modulus of elasticity of the matrix.

Fig. 10.6 Shear failure mode under

longitudinal compression
strengthoft
Another mode of failure may result at
higher
fibre (Fig. 10.6). The compressive strength for this V.
It may be dictated by the shear
case is given by

when F is the shear strength of fibre.

 iture heories and Strength ofa tUnidlrectional Lamina 25
Tension
A2.3 Transverse
verse tensile loading is undoubtedly the most critical loading of a unidirectional
Transverse

nsite. Due to this loacding pattern, high stress or strain concentration in matrix
an0
gOee/interphase occurs. Stress distribution around the fibre can be evaluated theoretically o
nimentally. Among the theoretical approaches are the analytical method using the complex
eles, the finite difference method, the finite element method and the boundary element method.
ariables,

wO or
Tvoor three e-dimensional photoelastic method has been used as the experimental technique. The most
al 2one is the fibre-matrix interface where critical stresses and strains are likely to OCcur.
eritic

The transverse tensile strength of the unidirectional lamina is determined using a stress
ancentration factor. It is assumed that fibres are much stiffer than the matrix and are perfectly
nnded to it. The stress and strain concentration factors are related as follows [10.5].

(10.11)
&2 1-Vm
where
K is the strain concentration factor
is the stress concentration factor
K
E2max IS the max1mum transverse strain

82 is the average transverse strain

Vm is the matrix Poisson's ratio
Thermal stresses are induced in the composite lamina due to various reasons. Residual stresses
and strains are set up due to the curing of the matrix. These stresses result in the constituents having
diferent values of coefficients of thermal expansion. In order to predict failure of a thermally loaded
composite lamina, the stress-strain relationship of the lamina has been assumed to be linear. Using
the maximum stress theory criterion, the transverse tensile strength with the inclusion of thermal
stress is given by

(10.12)

Wnere pm 1s the maximum residual stress

Otherwise, using the maximum strain theory criterion, the transverse tensile strength for a

thermally loaded composite is

1-V
FT K+vm)1-2v -,
(10.13)

nere eis the maximum residual strain.

102.4ATransverse Compression
unidirectional composite may fail in transverse compression under a number of failure
mecha at the interfäce may cause compression
Canisms. The high compressive stress concentration
ure of the matrix and/or crushing of the tibre. The strength in transverse compression for a
unidirectional lamina is
FnC +Orm
(10.14)
 where Fn: is the compressive strength of the matrix.

High compressive stress may result in an overall shear failure due to the presence
e of high
interfacial shear stresses which cause matrix shear failure and/or debonding.

10.2.5 Inplane Shear

The most susceptiblé unidircctional composite in inplane shear is the fibre.
part of the
interface (Fig. 10.7). Assuming that the matrix shear failure takes place in the unidirectionali r
the al lamina,
inplane shear strength is predicted as
F.
F =
where
K
(19.15)
K, is the shear strength concentration factor
FRS is the matrix shear strength
The variation of K, with material properties and has been
V determined by the finite
difference method 10.6) finite
10.3 ANISOTROPIC STRENGTH AND FAILURE THEORIES
The micromechanical
strength predictions are accurate with regard to failure initiation at
points. It is only approximate as far as the global failure critical
of the lamina is concerned.

FAILURE
SURFACE

T6
6
Fig. 10.7 Failure mode in inplane shear
From macromechanical point of view, the strength of a lamina is an
it varies with the orientation of the fibre. Correlation anisotropic property, that i
some basic strength
of the strength along an arbitrary directiou
parameters
basic strength parameters
is highly desirable. A
lamina may be characterised by a numoc
defined before. For an inplane loading, a lamina may be characteriseu
fivestrength parameters- Fir, Fic, F2r, F2c and F6.
Macromechanical failure theories for composites are
isotropic failure theories to account for anisotropy in generally an extension and adoption A
comprehensive review of various theories of strength and stiffness of the compDsite.
There are four anisotropic material is available [10.7].
commonly used failure criteria for fibre reinforced
Maximum stress theory plastics
2. Maximum strain theory
 ure
3 Deviatoric strain energy theory Theories and Stren
4 Interactive tensor
polynomial (Tsai-Hill) Unidirectional Lamina 261
theory (Tsai-Wu)
Maximum Stress Theory
The maximum stresstheory states thatat failure
one of the principal mate
aterial will occur
drcctn
on. The complex stress systemaxes reaches the
occur wher
when at least
naterial axes. Failure is defined by
in the lam
umina is magnitude of one stress com
FT wheno >0
transformed corresponding omponent
into stresses strength in that
along theprincipal
-

Fic when o <0

FaT when o, >0 (10.16a)
0
-F2c when o2 <0
Fe- F (10.166)

(10.16c)

Fig. 10.8 Of-axis loading of a

unidirectional lamina
For
general case of
a

components along the loading. referring to Fig. 10.8, for the off-axis
principal material axes are loading of the lamina, the
0,cos 6
20,sine
s cos6sin
(10.17)
Following off-axis strength F
OTTesponding strengths). is obtained (by equating the
stress
components
en o, is in tension, 1.C., to the
i.e., o>0
FT Fir
cos
FT FaT
sin
(10.18)
 262 Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures

Fr F
sin cose

and when g is in compression, i.e., o, <0

Fic
Fc
cos

Fc Fac
sin (10.19)
Fc F
sin 6 cos &

Therefore, outof five subcriteria, three are applicable

according to the maximum
whether o, is in tension or compression. It is a non-interactive stress theoryy
in any perpendicular direction is caused
theory that it assesses that the failure
in
independently
the nature of interaction in a biaxial state of stress is not
of the stresses acting in other
directions. Thus
considered