Abstract
Micromechanics simulations of fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composites with waviness defects are conducted to investigate the effect of constitutive model selection on the nucleation, evolution, and interaction of damage modes under in-plane compression. A 2D finite element model with fibers, matrix and fiber-matrix interfaces is used, considering damage modes at the constituent level (i.e., fiber-matrix interface damage, matrix plasticity, void nucleation and growth). Results show that the pressure-dependency of the polymer matrix is key for accurate predictions of strain localization in the fiber kinking mode and fiber-matrix interface crack behavior and extent at regions of waviness imperfections.
Acknowledgements
P. Díaz-Montiel thanks Dr. Shabnam Semnani (University of California San Diego) and Dr. Marta Miletic (San Diego State University) for the insightful discussions.
Disclosure statement
The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest related to this work.