Effect of Fiber Volume Fraction on Residual Thermal Stresses Generated Due to Curing Process of Fiber-reinforced Composites

This paper aims to investigate the residual thermal stresses in fiber-reinforced composites that are generated because of the manufacturing process. A new micromechanical finite element (FE) model based on a representative volume element (RVE) is presented containing the fiber, matrix and an inhomogeneous interphase region between them. Appropriate boundary conditions are introduced and the FE model is verified with the theoretical results available in the literature. Single fiber and extended RVEs with square and hexagonal arrays of fibers are presented and the effects of different fiber and interphase volume fractions on residual thermal stress (radial, circumferential and axial) and also residual radial displacement distributions around the interphase region and also maximum stresses are investigated. Also, the effects geometrical factors, like fiber and interphase volume fraction, are studied and it is shown that these parameters have a major effect on residual stress levels, especially around the interphase region.

Keywords:

Curing manufacturing process , Fiber-reinforced composites , Finite element analysis , Fiber volume fraction , Residual thermal stress , Representative Volume Element ,