Relationships Between the Ultimate Strengths of Polymer Composites in Static Bending, Compression, and Tension

Relationships between the ultimate static bending, compressive and tensile strengths of polymer composite materials are investigated. Validity of the assumptions used in various models of relationship between the ultimate strengths is analyzed for a number of composite materials. The results obtained allow one, with an accuracy acceptable at the initial stages of design of composite structures, to determine their ultimate compressive strength from results of simple tests on material specimens in tension and three-point bending or from known values of the corresponding strengths.