Mechanical Properties of Kevlar® KM2 Single Fiber

Abstract

Kevlar® KM2 fiber is a transversely isotropic material. Its tensile stress-strain response in the axial direction is linear and elastic until failure. However, the overall deformation in the transverse directions is nonlinear and nonelastic, although it can be treated linearly and elastically in infinitesimal strain range. For a linear, elastic, and transversely isotropic material, five material constants are needed to describe its stress-strain response. In this paper, stress-strain behavior obtained from experiments on a single Kevlar KM2 fiber are presented and discussed. The effects of loading rate and the influence of axial loading on transverse and transverse loading on axial stress-strain responses are also discussed.