Matrix Crack Formation and Growth in the Presence of Nonuniform Fiber Distribution and Matrix Voids
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2018 by DEStech Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. The current work is a continuation of the work presented at the last ASC meeting [1]. In the previous work, the initiation of brittle cavitation in the epoxy matrix reinforced by unidirectional fibers and subjected to transverse tension was studied. Using the dilatation energy density criterion for brittle cavitation, the initiation of fiber/matrix debonding was predicted for realizations with varying degree of fiber mobility. The objective of the current work is to analyze the driving force for crack propagation from the debonds arising from these points of cavitation. Loading of the model is continued until two, four or six adjacent debond cracks were found to form. The debonded fibers are replaced by a crack normal to the applied tension load. For each of these transverse crack cases, the strain energy release rate is calculated via the J-integral. The objective of these calculation is to find the real crack driving force and compare it to the assumed driving force based on homogenization of the composite. The crack driving force (J-integral) is monitored at increasing degree of fiber mobility.
