Damage modelling in thermoplastic composites reinforced with natural fibres under compressive loading

In this work, the compression failure of thermoplastic composites made of jute/polypropylene is investigated by experimental and numerical studies. Two laminate specimen’s lengths with different fibre orientations have been considered to analyse this composite type response to a compressive solicitation. The applied numerical model permits to understand the mechanisms of damage and evolution in the laminate. The interlayer damage (delamination) and the intra-layer damage (matrix cracking) have been modelled by the combined use of the Cohesive Zones model (CZM) and the Matzenmiller, Lubliner and Taylor (MLT) mechanical model. It was found that the loading conditions of laminates and the fibres orientation affect the compression failure load of the thermoplastic composites.

[1]  Ramesh Talreja,et al.  A continuum mechanics characterization of damage in composite materials , 1985, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

[2]  R. Young,et al.  Micromechanical analysis of the kink‐band performance at the interface of a thermoplastic composite under tensile deformation , 2010 .

[3]  T. G. Gutowski,et al.  Method for fusion bonding thermoplastic composites , 1986 .

[4]  M. Gude,et al.  A phenomenologically based damage model for 2D and 3D-textile composites with non-crimp reinforcement , 2011 .

[5]  O. Hoffman.  The Brittle Strength of Orthotropic Materials , 1967 .

[6]  G. I. Barenblatt.  THE MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF EQUILIBRIUM CRACKS IN BRITTLE FRACTURE , 1962 .

[7]  D. S. Dugdale.  Yielding of steel sheets containing slits , 1960 .

[8]  R. Borst.  Numerical aspects of cohesive-zone models , 2003 .

[9]  Pedro P. Camanho,et al.  A continuum damage model for composite laminates: Part I - Constitutive model , 2007 .

[10]  René de Borst,et al.  Some recent issues in computational failure mechanics , 2001 .

[11]  M. Ouali,et al.  Experimental and Numerical Study of Polypropylene Composite Reinforced with Jute Fibers , 2013 .

[12]  L. Siad,et al.  Comparison of explicit and implicit finite element simulations of void growth and coalescence in porous ductile materials , 2008 .

[13]  N. Fleck,et al.  Effect of geometry on compressive failure of notched composites , 1993 .

[14]  Sylvie Béland.  6 – Joining Thermoplastic Composites , 1990 .

[15]  Lorenzo Iannucci,et al.  An energy based damage mechanics approach to modelling impact onto woven composite materials-Part I: Numerical models , 2006 .

[16]  W. Hall,et al.  A review of bast fibres and their composites. Part 2 - Composites , 2010 .

[17]  Stephen W. Tsai,et al.  A General Theory of Strength for Anisotropic Materials , 1971 .

[18]  J. Youngquist,et al.  Injection molding of polypropylene reinforced with short jute fibers , 1996 .

[19]  Z. Hashin.  Failure Criteria for Unidirectional Fiber Composites , 1980 .

[20]  Z. Bažant,et al.  Crack band theory for fracture of concrete , 1983 .

[21]  W. Hall,et al.  A review of bast fibres and their composites. Part 1 – Fibres as reinforcements , 2010 .

[22]  S. Nenkova,et al.  MORPHOLOGY AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYPROPYLENE-WOOD FLOUR COMPOSITES , 2006 .

[23]  Norman A. Fleck,et al.  Compression Failure Mechanisms in Unidirectional Composites , 1992 .

[24]  V. K. Stokes.  Joining methods for plastics and plastic composites: an overview , 1989 .

[25]  Reza Vaziri,et al.  Application of a damage mechanics model for predicting the impact response of composite materials , 2001 .

[26]  R. Santana,et al.  Morphology and mechanical properties of polypropylene/high-impact polystyrene blends from postconsumer plastic waste , 2003 .

[27]  Numerical simulation of the ballistic response of GRP plates , 1998 .

[28]  Pedro P. Camanho,et al.  A continuum damage model for composite laminates: Part II – Computational implementation and validation , 2007 .

[29]  A. Błędzki,et al.  The influence of fiber-surface treatment on the mechanical properties of jute-polypropylene composites , 1997 .

[30]  Robert L. Taylor,et al.  A constitutive model for anisotropic damage in fiber-composites , 1995 .

[31]  Bernard Peseux,et al.  A new modeling of plasticity coupled with the damage and identification for carbon fibre composite laminates , 2006 .

[32]  Stelios Kyriakides,et al.  On the compressive failure of fiber reinforced composites , 1995 .

[33]  Norman A. Fleck,et al.  Compressive failure of fibre composites , 1993 .

[34]  S. E. Yamada,et al.  Analysis of Laminate Strength and Its Distribution , 1978 .