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A phase-field model for fracture of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites

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Abstract

This study presents a crack phase-field approach for anisotropic continua to model, in particular, fracture of fiber-reinforced matrix composites. Starting with the variational formulation of the multi-field problem of fracture in terms of the deformation and the crack phase fields, the governing equations feature the evolution of the anisotropic crack phase-field and the balance of linear momentum, presented for finite and small strains. A recently proposed energy-based anisotropic failure criterion is incorporated into the model with a constitutive threshold function regulating the crack initiation in regard to the matrix and the fibers in a superposed framework. Representative numerical examples are shown for the crack initiation and propagation in unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer composites under Mode-I, Mode-II and mixed-mode bending. Model parameters are obtained by fitting to sets of experimental data. The associated finite element results are able to capture anisotropic crack initiation and growth in unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite laminates.

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Acknowledgements

H.D. gratefully acknowledges the financial support from Tübitak grant scheme Bideb 2232 under Grant Number 114C073.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Dumlupinar Bulvari 1, 06800, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey

    Funda Aksu Denli, Osman Gültekin & Hüsnü Dal

  2. Institute of Biomechanics, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 16/II, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Gerhard A. Holzapfel

  3. Department of Structural Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491, Trondheim, Norway

    Gerhard A. Holzapfel

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  1. Funda Aksu Denli
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  2. Osman Gültekin
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  3. Gerhard A. Holzapfel
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  4. Hüsnü Dal
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Correspondence to Hüsnü Dal.

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Denli, F.A., Gültekin, O., Holzapfel, G.A. et al. A phase-field model for fracture of unidirectional fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites. Comput Mech 65, 1149–1166 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00466-019-01812-1

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