NOVEL RHEOLOGICAL MODELLING OF THERMOSETS AND UNIDIRECTIONAL MONOTROPIC FIBRE-REINFORCED THERMOSET MATRIX COMPOSITES
Marian Klasztorny, Daniel B. Nycz
Quarterly No. 1, 2023 pages 3-21
DOI:
keywords: Thermoset, Monotropic fibre-reinforced thermoset matrix composite, Elasticity, Rheology, Homogenization, Fractional exponential generic function, Material modelling, Identification, Simulation, Validation
abstract A refined, fully analytical rheological modelling of thermosetting polymers and unidirectional monotropic fibrereinforced thermoset matrix (UFRT) composites is presented. New polymers and composites under normal conditions, fully relaxed from curing and post-curing stresses, are modelled. The theory includes quasi-static short-term/medium-term/longterm reversible rheological processes. Thermosets are isotropic materials exhibiting linearly viscoelastic shear strains and linearly elastic bulk strains. Fibres are monotropic (transversely isotropic) and linearly elastic materials. A generic function well reproducing the viscoelastic characteristics of thermosets and UFRT composites is a Mittag-Leffler fractional exponential function in an integral form. Coupled/uncoupled standard/inverse constitutive equations of linear rheology are formulated for thermosets and UFRT composites. The equations are mutually analytically transformable. New rheological models (coded H-R/H) for thermosets and UFRT composites are described by the smallest possible number of material constants. The thermoset is described by two independent elastic constants and three independent viscoelastic constants. The homogenized UFRT composite is described by five independent elastic constants and four independent viscoelastic constants, whereby two viscoelastic constants are common to the matrix and the composite. An improved homogenization theory of UFRT composites, based on analytical solutions of the selected tasks of the theory of linear elasticity, is formulated for monotropic fibres and positively validated experimentally. The viscoelastic constants of the thermoset are calculated analytically in an iterative loop using a long-term unidirectional tension creep experimental test. The viscoelastic constants of the UFRT composite are calculated analytically employing H-R/H shear/quasi-shear storage compliances and VECP (the viscoelastic-elastic correspondence principle) shear/quasi-shear storage compliances. The H-R/H rheological model was validated numerically for selected UFRT composites. The validation tests were performed on the enhanced reliability UFRT composites reported by Soden, Hinton, and Kaddour (Composites Science and Technology, 1998, 2002).