Effects of fabric architectures on mechanical and damage behaviors in carbon/epoxy woven composites under multiaxial stress states. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, Guowei; Sun, Qingping; Li, Dayong; Meng, Zhaoxu; Peng, Yinghong; Zeng, Danielle; Su, Xuming
• Is Part Of: Polymer testing. Volume 90(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Woven fabric composite -- Off-axis -- Mechanical behavior -- Failure criterion; Polymers -- Testing -- Periodicals; Polymères -- Tests -- Périodiques; 620.1920287
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2020.106657
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0142-9418

Abstract

Abstract: The mechanical properties and damage evolutions of carbon/epoxy woven fabric composites with three different fabric architectures, including one plain weave and two twill weave patterns, are experimentally investigated under multiaxial stress states. In particular, the effects of weave patterns are investigated by monotonic and cyclic off-axis tension tests. Both elastic modulus and strength degrade remarkably with increasing off-axis loading angle, while Poisson's ratio is much higher than that measured from on-axis tests and increases with loading strain gradually. Different fabric architectures show limited effects on the modulus and strength under multiaxial stress states, and they are well predicted by transformation equation and Tsai-Wu failure criteria, respectively. However, significantly different failure behaviors are observed in three fabric composites, and microstructure observation shows that fabric architecture affects the stress concentration and the damage development. Smaller crimp ratio and compacted structure postpone the damage development but result in more abrupt failure under multiaxial stress states. Highlights: Fabric architecture's effects on properties of woven composite are analyzed under multiaxial stress states. With resin being the main loading carrier, significant different behaviors are observed in off-axis tension. Different fabric architectures have limited effects on mechanical properties, especially the elastic modulus. Fabric architecture determines the stress concentration and results in remarkable variations in damage development.