PREDICTION OF ELACTIC PROPERTIES OF FRP COMPOSITE LAMINA FOR LONGITUDINAL LOADING

A structural composite is a material system consisting of two or more phases on a macroscopic scale, whose mechanical performance and properties are designed to be superior to those of constituent materials acting independently. FRP composites are slowly emerging from the realm of advanced materials and are replacing conventional materials in a variety of applications. However, the mechanics of fiber-reinforced composites is complex owing to their anisotropic and heterogeneous characteristics. The mechanical properties E1,E2,υ12, and G12 are determined for three different types of FRP (Glass/Epoxy composite, Graphite/Epoxy composite and Kevlar/Epoxy composite) unidirectional continuous fiber lamina at different fiber volume fractions using the finite element method. A finite element model incorporating the necessary boundary conditions is developed and is solved using commercially available FEA package. The results are compared with analytical solution possible.