Micromechanisms of load transfer in a unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy composite due to fibre failures: Part 3. Multiscale reconstruction of composite behaviour

This third article describes a multiscale process which takes into account. the most important microscopic phenomena associated with composite degradation, including fibre fractures and interfacial debonding, overloading of fibres neighbouring a fibre break as well as viscoelastic behaviour of the matrix. The results have been used to accurately predict the macroscopic failure of unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced epoxy and quantify damage accumulation in pressure vessels made of the same material. The approach described has allowed the acoustic emission activity resulting from fibres breaks to be evaluated and shown how the residual lifetimes of such vessels, when under pressurise, can be predicted. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.