Carbon fiber composite laminates are an important alternative to metal in many mechanical structural applications. Carbon fiber composite laminates usually have multidirectional plies with different angles. In this study, a simple analytical model is derived to predict the notch strength of these multidirectional plies from the unidirectional strength of the 0° ply. The first method considers the orthogonal analysis of the forces introduced in each ply at the Cartesian coordinates in each of the 2 axes with their direction, and then calculates the resulting forces. The second method considers the percentage of layers inside the laminates and then orthogonally analyzes the induced forces on the entire laminate sheets. The resulting stress induced by these forces is calculated according to the theory of maximum failure shear or principal stress. In addition, the fracture toughness \({{\text{G}}}_{{\text{IC}}}\) was predicted based on the strength of the unnotched laminates calculated by previous methods. In addition, the size effect of the open-hole specimen was measured based on the predicted fracture toughness and strength of the unnotched laminates. The model was compared with available experimental and other published models. The optimum values for the two methods of fracture toughness were determined. The average percent accuracy of size effect prediction based on the first method is 3.24%, while it is 6.82% for the second method.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Y. Mohammed, M. K. Hassan, H. A. El-Ainin, and A. M. Hashem, “Size effect analysis of open-hole glass fiber composite laminate using two-parameter cohesive laws,” Acta Mech, 226, No. (4), 1027–1044 (2015).
R. Bhattacharyya and D. Adams, “Multiscale analysis of multi-directional composite laminates to predict stiffness and strength in the presence of micro-defects,” JCOMC, 6, 100189 (2021).
T. Q. Bui and X. Hu, “A review of phase-field models, fundamentals and their applications to composite laminates,” Eng Fract Mech, 248, 107705 (2021).
T. Bian, Q. Lyu, X. Fan, et al., “Effects of fiber architectures on the impact resistance of composite laminates under low-velocity impact,” Appl Compos Mater, 29, 1125–1145 (2022).
C. Furtado, A. Arteiro, M. A. Bessa, et al., “Prediction of size effects in open-hole laminates using only the Young’s modulus, the strength, and the R-curve of the 0 ply,” Compos Part A-Appl Sci, 101, 306–317 (2017).
M. Y. Abdellah, “Delamination modeling of double cantilever beam of unidirectional composite laminates,” J Fail Anal Preven, 17, No. 5, 1011–1018 (2017).
A. Cutolo, A. R. Carotenuto, S. Palumbo, et al., “Stacking sequences in composite laminates through design optimization,” Meccanica, 56, No. (6), 1555–1574 (2021).
F.-L. Guo, P. Huang, Y.-Q. Li, et al., “Multiscale modeling of mechanical behaviors of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites subjected to hygrothermal aging,” Compos Struct, 256, 113098 (2021).
C. Soutis, N. Fleck, and P. Smith, “Failure prediction technique for compression loaded carbon fibre-epoxy laminate with open holes,” J Compos Mater, 25, No. 11, 1476–1498 (1991).
M. K. Hassan, Y. Mohammed, T. M. Salem, and A. M. Hashem, “Prediction of nominal strength of composite structure open hole specimen through cohesive laws,” Int J Mech Mech Eng IJMME-IJENS, 12, 1–9 (2012).
P. Rozylo, “Experimental-numerical study into the stability and failure of compressed thin-walled composite profiles using progressive failure analysis and cohesive zone model,” Compos Struct, 257, 113303 (2021).
S. Tan, “Effective stress fracture models for unnotched and notched multidirectional laminates,” J Compos Mater, 22, No. 4, 322–340 (1988).
Z. P. Bažant and Q. Yu, “Designing against size effect on shear strength of reinforced concrete beams without stirrups: I. Formulation,” J Struct Eng, 131, No. 12, 1877–1885 (2005).
J. Planas and M. Elices, “Asymptotic analysis of a cohesive crack: 2. Influence of the softening curve,” Int J Fract, 64, No. 3, 221–237 (1993).
Y. Mohammed, M. K. Hassan, H. A. El-Ainin, and A. M. Hashem, “Size effect analysis in laminated composite structure using general bilinear fit,” Int J Nonlinear Sci Numer Simul, 14, Nos. 3–4, 217–224 (2013).
D. Fanteria, L. Lazzeri, E. Panettieri, et al., “Experimental characterization of the interlaminar fracture toughness of a woven and a unidirectional carbon/epoxy composite,” Compos Sci Technol, 142, 20–29 (2017).
E. Özaslan, M. A. Güler, A. Yetgin, and B. Acar, “Stress analysis and strength prediction of composite laminates with two interacting holes,” Compos Struct, 221, 110869 (2019).
P. P. Camanho, G. H. Erçin, G. Catalanotti, et al., “A finite fracture mechanics model for the prediction of the open-hole strength of composite laminates,” Compos Part A-Appl Sci, 43, No. 8, 1219–1225 (2012).
G. H. Erçin, P. P. Camanho, J. Xavier, et al., “Size effects on the tensile and compressive failure of notched composite laminates,” Compos Struct, 96, 736–744 (2013).
Z. P. Bažant, “Size effect,” Int J Solid Struct, 37, Nos. 1–2, 69–80 (2000).
Z. P. Bazant and E.-P. Chen, “Scaling of structural failure,” Appl Mech Rev, 50, No. 10, 593–627 (1997).
P. Camanho and G. Catalanotti, “On the relation between the mode I fracture toughness of a composite laminate and that of a 0 ply: analytical model and experimental validation,” Eng Fract Mech, 78, No. 13, 2535–2546 (2011).
Y. Mohammed, M. K. Hassan, and A. Hashem, “Analytical model to predict multiaxial laminate fracture toughness from 0 ply fracture toughness,” Polym Eng Sci, 54, No. 1, 234–238 (2014).
M. Y. Abdellah, “Comparative study on prediction of fracture toughness of CFRP laminates from size effect law of open hole specimen using cohesive zone model,” Eng Fract Mech, 191, 277–285 (2018).
C. Soutis and P. Curtis, “A method for predicting the fracture toughness of CFRP laminates failing by fibre microbuckling,” Compos Part A-Appl Sci, 31(, No. 7, 733–740 (2000).
P. P. Camanho, P. Maimí, and C. Dávila, “Prediction of size effects in notched laminates using continuum damage mechanics,” Compos Sci Technol, 67, No. 13, 2715–2727 (2007).
S. Jose, R. Ramesh Kumar, M.K. Jana, and G. Venkateswara Rao, “Intralaminar fracture toughness of a cross-ply laminate and its constituent sub-laminates,” Compos Sci Technol, 61, No. 8, 1115–1122 (2001).
K. D. Cowley and P. W. Beaumont, “The interlaminar and intralaminar fracture toughness of carbon-fibre/polymer composites: the effect of temperature,” Compos Sci Technol, 57, No. 11, 1433–1444 (1997).
A. C. Garg, “Intralaminar and interlaminar fracture in graphite/epoxy laminates,” Eng Fract Mech, 23, No. 4, 719–733 (1986).
M. Y. Abdellah, “An approximate analytical model for modification of size effect law for open-hole composite structure under biaxial load,” P I Mech Eng C-J Mec, 235, No. 18, 3570–3583 (2021).
P. R. Barnett, S. A. Young, N. J. Patel, and D. Penumadu, “Prediction of strength and modulus of discontinuous carbon fiber composites considering stochastic microstructure,” Compos Sci Technol, 211, 108857 (2021).
M. Y. Abdellah, M. K. Hassan, A. F. Mohamed, and K. A. Khalil, “A novel and highly effective natural vibration modal analysis to predict nominal strength of open hole glass fiber reinforced polymer composites structure,” Polymers, 13, No. 8, 1251 (2021).
P. P. Camanho and M. Lambert, “A design methodology for mechanically fastened joints in laminated composite materials,” Compos Sci Technol, 66, No. 15, 3004–3020 (2006).
C. G. Dávila, C. A. Rose, and P. P. Camanho, “A procedure for superposing linear cohesive laws to represent multiple damage mechanisms in the fracture of composites,” Int J Fracture, 158, No. 2, 211–223 (2009).
Z. P. Bažant, “Size effect in blunt fracture: concrete, rock, metal,” J Eng Mech, 110, No. 4, 518–535 (1984).
G. T. Hahn and A. R. Rosenfield, “Local yielding and extension of a crack under plane stress,” Acta Metall Mater, 13, No. 3, 293–306 (1965).
N. Perez, Crack Tip Plasticity, in: Fracture Mechanics, Springer (2017), pp. 187–225.
B. Esp, Stress Distribution and Strength Prediction of Composite Laminates with Multiple Holes, The University of Texas at Arlington (2007).
V. Birman and G. M. Genin, 1.15 Linear and Nonlinear Elastic Behavior of Multidirectional Laminates, in: P. W. R. Beaumont and C. H. Zweben (Eds.), Comprehensive Composite Materials II, Vol. 1, Academic Press, Oxford (2018), pp. 376–398.
R. Amacher, J. Cugnoni, J. Botsis, et al., “Thin ply composites: experimental characterization and modeling of size-effects,” Compos Sci Technol, 101, 121–132 (2014).
P. Berbinau and C. Soutis, “A study of 0°-fibre microbuckling in multidirectional composite laminates,” in: Proc. of the Twelfth Int. Conf. on Composite Materials (ICCM-12, Paris, France, July 5–9, 1999), Paper 237 (1999).
S. Biswas and A. Satapathy, “A comparative study on erosion characteristics of red mud filled bamboo–epoxy and glass–epoxy composites,” Mater. Design, 31, No. 4, 1752–1767 (2010).
A. L. Fairchild, D. Rosner, J. Colgrove, et al., “The EXODUS of public health what history can tell us about the future,” Am J Public Health, 100, No. 1, 54–63 (2010).
C. Furtado, A. Arteiro, G. Catalanotti, et al., “Selective ply-level hybridisation for improved notched response of composite laminates,” Compos Struct, 145, 1–14 (2016).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Translated from Problemy Mitsnosti, No. 5, p. 126, September – October, 2023.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Abdellah, M.Y. An Asymptotic Analysis of Methods for Predicting the Fracture Toughness of Multiaxial Carbon Fiber Composite Laminates Using the Elastic Constants of the 0° Plies. Strength Mater 55, 1030–1046 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11223-023-00594-5
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11223-023-00594-5