Abstract
Abstract Some recent developments in the study of fibre and composite material fracture are reviewed and analyzed using statistical and probabilistic concepts. Short-term strength and long-term lifetime are considered and an attempt is made to show how statistical kinetics may provide some physical basis for the molecular fracture of polymeric fibres. Transversal and longitudinal size effects in the mechanical strength of various types of highly oriented fibres typically used in composites are thoroughly discussed and a comparison of fracture mechanics and probabilistic approaches is performed. Some currently unsolved problems inherent to the Weibull distribution as a model for strength are discussed and, using maximum likelihood estimation techniques, conjectures are made regarding the relative roles of defects distributed over the fibre boundary and in the bulk. Theoretical and experimental results regarding the fracture of unidirectional fibrous composites are reviewed, and, in particular, the importance of the fibre bundle theory is emphasized. Problems for future research are suggested.
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