Lamina stiffness unidirectional reinforcement

Fibers are often regarded as the dominant constituents in a fiber-reinforced composite material. However, simple micromechanics analysis described in Section 7.3.5, Importance of Constituents, leads to the conclusion that fibers dominate only the fiber-direction modulus of a unidirectionally reinforced lamina. Of course, lamina properties in that direction have the potential to contribute the most to the strength and stiffness of a laminate. Thus, the fibers do play the dominant role in a properly designed laminate. Such a laminate must have fibers oriented in the various directions necessary to resist all possible loads. 

A simplified performance index for stiffness is readily obtained from the essentials of micromechanics theory (see, for example. Chapter 3). The fundamental engineering constants for a unidirectionally reinforced lamina, ., 2, v.,2, and G.,2, are easily analyzed with simple back-of-the-envelope calculations that reveal which engineering constants are dominated by the fiber properties, which by the matrix properties, and which are not dominated by either fiber or matrix properties. Recall that the fiber-direction modulus, is fiber-dominated. Moreover, both the modulus transverse to the fibers, 2, and the shear modulus, G12. are matrix-dominated. Finally, the Poisson s ratio, v.,2, is neither fiber-dominated nor matrix-dominated. Accordingly, if for design purposes the matrix has been selected but the value of 1 is insufficient, then another more-capable fiber system is necessary. Flowever, if 2 and/or G12 are insufficient, then selection of a different fiber system will do no practical good. The actual problem is the matrix systemi The same arguments apply to variations in the relative percentages of fiber and matrix for a fixed material system. 

This chapter is devoted to the analysis of the elastic properties and their characterization for laminated advanced composites. It starts with a general overview of composite stiffness and then moves to lamina analysis focused on unidirectional reinforced composites. The analysis of laminated composites is addressed through the classical lamination theory (CLT). The last section describes full-field techniques coupled with inverse identification methods that can be employed to measure the elastic constants. 

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