Tension-Compression Asymmetry in the Off-Axis Nonlinear Rate-Dependent Behavior of a Unidirectional Carbon/Epoxy Laminate at High Temperature and Incorporation into Viscoplasticity Modeling

Off-axis compressive deformation behavior of a unidirectional CFRP laminate at high temperature and its strain-rate dependence in a quasi-static range are examined for various fiber orientations. By comparing the off-axis compressive and tensile behaviors at an equal strain rate, the effect of different loading modes on the flow stress level, rate-dependence and nonlinearity of the off-axis inelastic deformation is elucidated. The experimental results indicate that the compressive flow stress levels for relatively larger off-axis angles of 30 degrees, 45 degrees and 90 degrees are about 50 percent larger than in tension for the same fiber orientations, respectively. The nonlinear deformations under off-axis tensile and compressive loading conditions exhibit significant strain-rate dependence. Similar features are observed in the fiber-orientation dependence of the off-axis flow stress levels under tension and compression and in the off-axis flow stress differential in tension and compression, regardless of the strain rate. A phenomenological theory of viscoplasticity is then developed which can describe the tension-compression asymmetry as well as the rate dependence, nonlinearity and fiber orientation dependence of the off-axis tensile and compressive behaviors of unidirectional composites in a unified manner. It is demonstrated by comparing with experimental results that the proposed viscoplastic constitutive model can be applied with reasonable accuracy to predict the different, nonlinear and rate-dependent behaviors of the unidirectional composite under off-axis tensile and compressive loading conditions. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009