The Effects of Uneven Fiber Spacing on Thermal Residual Stresses in a Unidirectional SCS-6/Ti-15-3 Laminate

Abstract

High residual stresses develop in SCS-6/Ti-15-3 composites during cooldown from the fabrication temperature; these residual stresses can affect the behavior of the composite. Discrete fibermatrix finite element models were used to study the residual stresses caused by the temperature change during the fabrication process, including the effects of uneven fiber spacing, the free surface, and increased fiber volume fractions.