Critical Comparison of 12 Micromechanics Models for Stiffness and Strength of UD Composites

Abstract

Any micromechanics model developed to predict the stiffness (elastic properties) of a composite is also applicable to the prediction of a composite strength, as long as the homogenized stresses in the matrix are converted into true values by virtue of its stress concentration factors (SCFs) obtained recently. In this paper, the predictability of 12 most well known micromechanics models for stiffnesses and strengths of unidirectional (UD) composites is assessed. The measured elastic and strength data of the 9 UD composites adopted in three world-wide failure exercises (WWFEs) are used as a benchmark in this assessment. It is shown that Bridging Model exhibits overall the best accuracy in prediction of both the stiffness and strength of a composite.