Mechanics of Composite Materials

ME6093

Lectures # 08

Course Teacher: Dr. Ghulam Asghar

 Today’s Lecture
 Analysis of a Discontinuously Reinforced Lamina

 Introduction

 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers

 Stress and Strength Analysis

Analysis of a Discontinuously
Reinforced Lamina
 Introduction
 Short-fiber-reinforced or particulate-reinforced composites are typically not as
strong or as stiff as continuous fiber-reinforced composites and are not likely to
be used in critical structural applications such as aircraft primary structures.

 On the other hand, discontinuously reinforced composites do have several

attractive characteristics that make them worthy of consideration for other
applications.

 For example, in components characterized by complex geometrical contours,

continuous fibers may not be practical because they may not conform to the
desired shape without being damaged or distorted from the desired pattern.

 However, short fibers or particles can be easily mixed with the liquid matrix resin,
and the resin/fiber or resin/particle mixture can be injection or compression
molded to produce parts with complex shapes.

 Such processing methods are also fast and inexpensive, which makes them very
attractive for high-volume applications.
 Introduction
 Composites having randomly oriented, short-fiber reinforcements or particulate
reinforcements are nearly isotropic, whereas unidirectional continuous fiber
composites are highly anisotropic.
 In many applications, the advantages of low cost, ease of fabricating complex
parts, and isotropic behavior are enough to make short-fiber or particulate
composites the material of choice.
 This has been especially true since the 1991 discovery of CNTs (the “ultimate
short fibers”, which are currently believed to be the strongest materials that
mankind is capable of producing), and much attention has been directed toward
their use as reinforcement in composites.
 Short-fiber composites with three types of fiber reinforcements are generally
used: aligned discontinuous fibers (Figure 6.1a), off-axis-aligned discontinuous
fibers (Figure 6.1b), and randomly oriented discontinuous fibers (Figure 6.1c).
 Particulate-reinforced composites (Figure 6.1d) and hybrid multi-scale
composites having both fiber and particulate reinforcements of different size
scales (Figure 6.1e) are also considered.
 Introduction
 Nano-fibers, nano-particles, or nano-tubes can be used in any of these
arrangements, but because of their extremely tiny dimensions, they are most
often randomly oriented in all three dimensions.
 Although the randomly oriented, short-fiber composites (Figure 6.1c) are
currently the most widely used, the development of the analytical models
logically begins with the simplest case, that of aligned short fibers in Figure 6.1a.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 The analysis of specially orthotropic aligned discontinuous fiber composite
begins with the selection of a representative volume element (RVE) consisting of
a short fiber embedded in a cylinder of matrix material, as shown in Figure 6.2.
 Figure 6.2b does not include matrix material at the ends of the fiber while Figure
6.2a does include the matrix material.
 However, before beginning the analysis, it is advised to consider the geometry of
deformation in the RVE of Figure 6.2a.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 As shown by the grid lines before and after deformation in Figure 6.3, the
stiffness mismatch between fiber and matrix ( Ef ≫ Em ) leads to large shear
deformations near the fiber ends but no shear deformation at the middle of the
fiber.
 That is, if Ef = Em , there is no mismatch in stiffness between fiber and matrix, and
no fiber–matrix interfacial shear takes place. But as Ef increases relative to Em ,
the interfacial shear stress and distortion increases.
 The stress transfer between
matrix and fiber occurs primarily
through interfacial shear, which is
the greatest near the fiber ends.
 On the other hand, the normal
stress in the fiber builds from a
minimum at the fiber ends to a
maximum in the middle of the
fiber.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 Consider the free-body diagram of a differential element of the fiber from the
RVE, as shown in Figure 6.4. For static equilibrium of the forces along the x-
direction,
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 Simplifying and rearranging the Equation 6.1, we obtain the differential equation
relating the rate of change of the fiber normal stress along the x-direction to the
interfacial shear stress:

 Separating variables and integrating, we find that;

 It is commonly assumed that essentially all of the stress transfer from matrix to
fiber occurs by interfacial shear around the periphery of the fiber, and that the
fiber normal stress (σ0), which is transferred across the ends of the fiber, is
negligible. With this assumption, Equation 6.3 becomes;

 Thus, if we want to determine the fiber stress (σf), we must know the interfacial
shear stress (τ) as a function of the distance x.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 Two basic approaches have been proposed, both of which are based on
assumptions regarding the behavior of the matrix material.
 Kelly and Tyson assumed that the matrix is rigid plastic, as shown in the stress–
strain curve in Figure 6.5a.
 Cox assumed that the matrix is linear elastic, as shown in Figure 6.5b.
 Both models are based on the assumption of linear elastic fibers.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 Kelly–Tyson model is much simpler than the Cox model because the interfacial
shear stress (τ) is everywhere equal to the matrix yield stress in shear (τy).
 Thus, for the Kelly–Tyson model, the resulting fiber stress from Equation 6.4 is;

 This equation tells us that the fiber stress

varies linearly with the distance from the
fiber end, but we also know that the fiber
stress distribution must be symmetric about
x = L/2.
 The fiber stress distribution and the
corresponding shear stress distribution are
shown in Figure 6.6.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 The maximum fiber stress for such a fiber occurs at x = L/2 and is given by;

 If the fiber is assumed to be elastic, σfmax cannot exceed the value Ef1 σc1 / E1 ,
which is the fiber stress in a continuous fiber composite under longitudinal
composite stress (σc1).
 Thus, as σfmax approaches the limiting value Ef1 σc1 / E1 , the fiber length (L)
approaches a value Li , which has been referred to as the “ineffective length” or
the “load transfer length”.
 The equation for Li is therefore;

 The effect of increasing fiber length on the fiber stress and shear stress
distributions is shown graphically in Figure 6.7 (on next slide).
Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 Note that no matter how long the fiber is, the load transfer between fiber
and matrix only occurs over the length Li .

 The length Li has been referred to as the “ineffective length” because the
fiber stress is less than its maximum value for this portion of the fiber.

 The term “load transfer length” comes from the fact that the load transfer
between fiber and matrix only occurs over this portion of the fiber.

 Although these results are for the Kelly–Tyson model, similar results are
obtained from the Cox model.

 The stress distributions along the fiber in Figure 6.7 are based on the
Kelly–Tyson assumption that the interfacial shear stress is constant.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 For comparison, Figure 6.8 shows the corresponding stress distributions when
the interfacial shear stress is assumed to vary linearly along the fiber.
 Aligned Discontinuous Fibers
 Stress and Strength Analysis
 Another limiting value of the fiber stress occurs when σfmax is equal to the fiber
tensile strength (Sf1(+)). In this case, the applied composite stress is such that;

 The corresponding fiber length now becomes L = Lc , where Lc is referred to as

the “critical length”.
 For this condition, substitution of Equation 6.8 into Equation 6.6 yields the
equation for the critical length as;

 The critical length has important implications for the calculation of longitudinal
composite strength.
 Equation 6.9 can be rearranged to give the interfacial shear strength (τy)
corresponding to the critical length;
 Mid Term Exam
 The mid term exam will be from Lecture 1 to
Lecture 5.
 Assignment #1 is also included in exam.

 There are two numerical problems.

 Question #1 (a, b, c, d parts) 3 theoretical and

1 numerical problems.

 Question #2 (a, b, c parts) 2 theoretical and 1

numerical problems.
Thank You