Transverse Tensile Strength Prediction of Thermosetting Composites

Abstract

The transverse tensile strength of composites is susceptible to size effects. Therefore, it is paramount to develop length-scale specific physical test procedures to validate computational models that estimate the transverse composite response using micromechanics. To this end, a computational process modeling and virtual mechanical testing framework are presented in this study to predict the transverse response of composite microstructures subjected to processing conditions. Informed by a comprehensive material dataset, the numerical model is shown to reliably predict the process-induced residual stress generation in composite microstructures and accurately evaluate its influence on their transverse strength prediction. A novel procedure to fabricate thin composite laminates from a single ply of carbon fibers and characterize their transverse tensile response is presented to validate the numerical model. The results show excellent agreement with the virtual test predictions. This study highlights the importance of length-scale specific testing to minimize the influence of size effect on the transverse composite strength.