Modelling the damage evolution in unidirectional hybrid laminates

Although composite materials are durable, strong and light, their brittleness limits their use in several industrial applications. The lack of ductility of composites can be overcome by hybridisation where low strain materials (LSM) are sandwiched between two layers of high strain materials (HSM). Hybridisation tends to improve composite properties by acting either on the overall mechanical properties or on the damage propagation mechanisms leading to failure. UD hybrid composites have complex failure mechanisms including multiple interacting damage modes, such as ply fragmentation and interface delamination. The damage mechanisms in UD hybrid composites varies with the thickness ratio of LSM/HSM. To study the behaviour of UD hybrid composites in different load and boundary conditions, a numerical model is required. The aim of this study is to simulate the damage evolution in unidirectional hybrid carbon/glass and carbon/carbon composites subjected to tensile loading by finite element models.