Experimental and numerical analysis of the Microstructure and mechanical properties of unidirectional glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites

Abstract

Numerical modeling was done to predict the pattern and features of the fracture surface and to understand the mechanisms and cause of the failure. Various fiber orientations of 0°, 90°, 0°/90° and ±45° were utilized in the production of unidirectional glass-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites via the vacuum bagging technique. The mechanical properties of the manufactured composites were evaluated by measuring parameters including tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength and interlaminar shear strength. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy was employed to determine the mechanisms of fracture in laminates. The mechanical properties of the composite material were found to be considerably enhanced when a unidirectional 0° fiber orientation was employed, as compared to other fiber orientations. This was true for tensile, compressive, flexural and interlaminar shear loading modes. Depending on the direction of the fibers, the composite laminates showed different ways to break, such as fibers pulling away from the matrix, holes in the matrix, and river flow lines. The outcomes of the numerical simulation demonstrated a high level of concordance with experimental findings.