Probabilistic study of debond length and pull-out length of fibers in a random short-fiber-reinforced composite.

Abstract

A better understanding of the debond and pull-out processes of fibers in fiber-reinforced composites is needed because they affect the fracture toughness of the composites. In this paper, a new stochastic model is proposed to predict the probability distributions of debond and pull-out lengths of fibers in a short-fiber-reinforced SMC composite. By considering that fibers in a short-fiber-reinforced SMC composite are discontinuous and that their dircection is random, the probability distributions of debond and pull-out lengths are predicted. It is found that the debond length becomes shorter and the pull-out length becomes longer than those in unidirectional continuous-fiber-reinforced composites. Furthermore, the influences of the fiber-matrix interfacial condition on the debond and pull-out lengths are clarified.