Stresses in a composite material with a single broken fibre

Abstract

An investigation has been made into the suitability of the finite-element method for studying the stresses in composite materials and the case of a single broken fibre in a matrix has been examined. It has been found that high stress concentrations occur in the region of the fibre break which increase with decreasing end gap and would cause matrix yielding or fracture at comparatively low overall stresses. When the end gap is not void but filled with matrix much lower stress concentrations occur which, below a certain value of end gap, actually decrease as the gap is made smaller.