Micro-Macro Coupling Study on the Mechanical Properties of Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computational Modeling

Background:

• The fiber-matrix interface is critical in continuous fiber-reinforced composites (CFRCs), yet its vulnerability impacts overall material performance.
• Accurate prediction of CFRC mechanical properties requires detailed consideration of interfacial behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a micro-macro coupling method for accurately predicting the mechanical properties of CFRCs.
• To assess the impact of the fiber-matrix interface on CFRC tensile and bending strengths.

Main Methods:

• Utilized molecular dynamics to obtain microscopic interface parameters.
• Employed a representative volume element (RVE) and unified periodic homogenization for stiffness matrix calculation.
• Performed macroscopic finite element analysis (FEA) simulations with and without interface consideration.

Main Results:

• The micro-macro coupling method showed excellent agreement with experimental tensile strength ( < 5% error).
• Simulations neglecting the interface exhibited a significant error (58.7%) in tensile strength prediction.
• Similar trends were observed for bending strength, Young's modulus, and flexural modulus.

Conclusions:

• The proposed micro-macro coupling method effectively predicts CFRC mechanical properties by incorporating interfacial characteristics.
• Accounting for the fiber-matrix interface is crucial for accurate mechanical performance analysis of CFRCs.