Framework for Generating Failure Surface through Virtual Testing of Unidirectional Polymeric Composites

A framework to obtain the failure surface of a unidirectional composite which can be used as an input for Generalized Tabulated Failure Criterion in MAT_213 – an orthotropic elasto-plastic material model implemented in LS-DYNA, a commercial finite element program, is discussed in this research. A finite element model consisting of the fiber and the matrix is generated using the Virtual Testing Software System (VTSS) developed at Arizona State University (ASU). The framework is illustrated using the T800-F3900 unidirectional composite material manufactured by Toray Composites. The T800S fiber is modeled using MAT_213. The F3900 matrix phase is modeled using MAT_187-SAMP1. The response of the virtual tests in 1-direction tension, 1-direction compression, 2-direction tension, 2-direction compression and 2-1 plane shear are verified against the results obtained from experiments performed under quasi-static and room temperature conditions (QS-RT). Finally, a roadmap to generate the failure surface using virtual test is proposed.