• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1896-1911
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• 1997

Effects of fiber-matrix interphases on the micro-and macro-mechanical behaviors of unidirectionally fiber-reinforced composites subjected to transverse shear loading at remote distance have been studied. The interphases between fibers and matrix have been modeled by the spring-layer which accounts for continuity of tractions, but allows radial and circumferential displacement jumps across the interphase that are linearly related to the normal and tangential tractions. Numerical calculations for basic cells of the composites have been carried out using the boundary element method. For an undamaged composite the micro-level stresses at the matrix side of the interphase and effective shear stiffness have been computed as functions of fiber volume ratio $V_f$ and interphase stiffness k. Results are presented for various interphase stiffnesses from the perfect bonding to the case of total debonding. For a square array composite the results show that for a high interphase stiffness k>10, an increase of $V_f$ increases the effective transverse shear modulus G over bar of the composite. For a relatively low interphase stiffness k<1, it is shwon that an increase of $V_f$ slightly decreases the effective transverse shear modulus. For the perfect bonding case, G over bar for a hexagonal array composite is slightly larger than that for a square array composite. Also for a damaged composite partially debonded at the interphase, local stress fields and effective shear modulus are calculated and a decrease in G over bar has been observed.

• Composites Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2017

In this study, the mechanical behavior and interface properties of boron nitride nanotube-poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites are predicted using the molecular dynamics simulations and the double inclusion model. After modeling nanocomposite unit cell embedding single-walled nanotube and polymer, the stiffness matrix is determined from uniaxial tension and shear tests. Through the orientation average of the transversely isotropic stiffness matrix, the effective isotropic elastic constants of randomly dispersed microstructure of nanocomposites. Compared with the double inclusion model solution with a perfect interfacial condition, it is found that the interface between boron nitride nanotube and polymer matrix is weak in nature. To characterize the interphase surrounding the nanotube, the two step domain decomposition method incorporating a linear spring model at the interface is adopted. As a result, various combinations of the interfacial compliance and the interphase elastic constants are successfully determined from an inverse analysis.