Study of the effect of strain rate on the in-plane shear and transverse compression response of a composite ply using computational micromechanics

TL;DR

This study develops a computational micromechanics tool to predict how composite materials behave under different strain rates, focusing on failure mechanisms in transverse compression and in-plane shear.

Contribution

It introduces a physically-based simulation framework calibrated with novel testing techniques to analyze strain rate effects on composite ply failure.

Findings

Failure initiation mechanisms change with strain rate.

Simulation results align with experimental observations.

Fracture surface analysis confirms the change in failure modes.

Abstract

The use of composite materials for structures subjected to impacts requires a deep understanding about the dynamic behaviour of the material. To this end, a physically-based computational micromechanics simulation tool has been developed to predict failure initiation in a composite ply over a wide range of strain rates. The computational micromechanics framework incorporates constitutive models for the fibre, matrix and fibre-matrix interface, which are partly calibrated with novel micromechanical testing techniques. The simulation tool was applied to two matrix-dominated deformation modes of the ply: transverse compression and in-plane shear. The comparison of simulation and experimental results at coupon level have revealed a change in failure initiation mechanism of the composite ply with strain rate, which was then corroborated through observation of the fracture surfaces on the samples.