Generalised constitutive equations for densification of metal matrix coated fibre composites

The present paper completes a study of constitutive equations for the consolidation processing of continuous fibre reinforced metal matrix composite materials. It builds on an earlier paper in which physically based constitutive equations were derived for the case of symmetrical, isostatic loading. In the present paper, constitutive equations are developed for in plane, general stress states. The total deformation of the consolidating composite is expressed as the sum of a conventional deviatoric creep term, together with a dilatational term, which was derived using a variational method previously published. The equations contain only two material parameters, which are the conventional creep coefficient and exponent for the fibre coating material (in this case, Ti-6Al-4V). The resulting equations have been implemented into finite element software enabling the simulation of practical consolidation processes. The model has been verified by comparing predicted results with those obtained from independent micromechanical models. A number of experimental tests have been carried out, and the model is used to predict the rates of densification for a range of experimental pressure and temperature histories. Good comparisons have been achieved.