Characterization and modelling of tensile damage in unidirectional all-carbon hybrid laminates

Hybridization of fiber reinforced polymers is a strategy to overcome the abrupt and brittle failure mechanism when reaching the ultimate strength of the typically brittle carbon, glass or aramid fibres. By combining fibres with different breaking strain, complex failure mechanisms are exploited, leading to pseudo-ductile behavior of the composite. The tensile pseudo-ductile behavior and the damage evolution of an all-carbon unidirectional hybrid laminate was studied in detail using an available analytical model, a developed 2D finite element model and various measurement and observation techniques including integrated fiber optic sensors, digital image correlation and X-ray micro computer tomography. A good correlation between the analytical as well as finite element models and the various experimental techniques was found