Title

Progressive failure of large deformation composites under dynamic tensile loading

Date of Completion

January 2007

Keywords

Applied Mechanics|Engineering, Mechanical|Engineering, Materials Science

Degree

Ph.D.

Abstract

The applications of polymer based composite materials in structural components under dynamic loading have increased dramatically. The accurate understanding and modeling of the material mechanical behavior is the basis for the composite structure design and analysis. This research was designed to investigate the progressive failure nature of woven polymer-based composites under dynamic tensile loading conditions. A plain-woven E-glass/vinyl ester composite was selected and a generalized anisotropic material characterization procedure was developed. Off-axial tensile dynamic loading experiments with different strain rates and temperature was conducted. A nonlinear and rate dependent constitutive model used for the polymer-based composites under tensile dynamic tensile loading was constructed. The comparison shows a good match with testing data and a good prediction of stress to failure values. A hybrid method that combined the classical laminate theory with material microstructure analysis was presented to model the large strain to failure phenomenon. A single material parameter failure criteria based on Monkman-Grant concept was built to represent the materials anisotropic and rate dependency natural for tensile loading. And the strength concept based on the material constitution relationship and failure criteria was established to for structure analyses. ^

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