Estimation of material properties of metal matrix composites using finite element method in the presence of micromechanics damages

Abstract Metal matrix composites have growing importance in aerospace industries. Composite materials are heterogeneous in nature and require large number of homogenized material properties to carry out the structural analysis at macro-scale level. The values of these properties change as a function of the volume fraction of the constituent materials. In the present work a micromechanics model subjected to unified periodic boundary conditions is developed based on the Finite Element Method. In the first part of the work, Representative Unit Cell (RUC) is developed for a healthy case; the estimated material properties for this case are compared with the existing literature values. In the second part of the work, the micromechanics models having micromechanics damages like interfacial debonding, fiber cracking and matrix yielding are developed following the concepts and methodology used in the development of healthy RUC. The developed RUC model with micromechanics damages is based on the cohesive zone surface and failed element concept for modeling interfacial debonding and fiber cracking or matrix yielding respectively in the finite element framework. This model is analyzed to estimate the deteriorated elastic moduli in the presence of these micromechanics damages.