Open Access

ARTICLE

Finite Element Analysis of Delamination inWoven Composites under Quasi-Static Indentation

M. C. Song¹, B.V. Sankar¹, G. Subhash¹, C. F. Yen²

1 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
2 US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.

Computers, Materials & Continua 2013, 35(1), 67-85. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmc.2013.035.067

Abstract

Delamination initiation and propagation in plain woven laminates and 3D orthogonal woven composites during short beam shear (SBS) test were analyzed using finite element (FE) analyses. Two kinds of 3D woven composites, containing single z-yarns and double z-yarns, were considered. The FE models were guided by experimental observations from SBS tests for the same material systems. A series of mechanisms including creation and evolution of matrix cracks and delaminations were modeled discretely. The force-displacement curves obtained from the FE simulations were compared with those from experiments. Further parametric studies were conducted to investigate the effects of z-yarns and interlaminar fracture toughness on delamination in woven composites. The results from the FE simulations revealed that z-yarns in 3D woven composites can play a major role in impeding propagation of interlaminar cracks. On the other hand 2D plain woven laminates without any z-reinforcement demonstrated higher interlaminar fracture toughness due to undulation in yarns. 3D woven composites with double yarns showed better damage tolerance than single yarn 3D woven composites and their behavior was very similar to composite laminates with high interlaminar fracture toughness.

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Keywords

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