Characterization of the failure process in composite materials by the Fiber Bundle Model

Abstract

Our aim in this paper is to investigate the time distribution of the monomer intact fiber of a bundle model of fibers subject to a constant external load. Breaking process is created by thermally induced stress fluctuations followed by load redistribution with the local load-sharing rule (LLS) which subsequently leads to an avalanche of breakings. The results showed that the maximum number of the intact fiber monomer (MNIFM) was observed at time t1 proportional to the materials failure time tf independently of the temperature value (t1≈13tf). So, this parameter can characterize clearly the avalanche phenomenon observed in the failure process of the composite materials. Moreover, we have found that MNIFM presents a Gaussian variation with the applied load and exhibits a power law with the size of the system. The MNIFM temperature dependence was also investigated in this study.