Model for Fracture in Fibrous Materials

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple fiber bundle model to simulate fracture in fibrous materials, capturing crack propagation and effects of external conditions like temperature and strain rate.

Contribution

A novel one-dimensional fiber bundle model that efficiently simulates fracture processes in fibrous composites with sensitivity to external factors.

Findings

Energy versus temperature behavior analyzed

Stress-strain diagrams obtained

Crack size distribution histograms created

Abstract

A fiber bundle model in $(1+1)$-dimensions for the breaking of fibrous composite matrix is introduced. The model consists of $N$ parallel fibers fixed in two plates. When one of the plates is pulled in the direction parallel to the fibers, these can be broken with a probability that depends on their elastic energy. The mechanism of rupture is simulated by the breaking of neighbouring fibers that can generate random cracks spreading up through the system. Due to the simplicity of the model we have virtually no computational limitation. The model is sensitive to external conditions as temperature and traction time-rate. The energy {\it vs.} temperature behaviour, the diagrams of stress {\it vs.} strain and the histograms of the frequency {\it vs.} size of cracks are obtained. (to appear in Phys. Rev. B)