Micromechanical modeling approach to the mechanical properties of textile elastomeric composites

Abstract

Elastomer-based fibrous composites are characterized by a significantly nonlinear whilst usable deformation range under external loads, which provides a great challenge to the development of a constitutive description for the composites. This paper presents a micromechanical modeling approach to the entire stress-strain response of such composites based on knowledge of constituent fiber and matrix properties only. A new and accurate rubber-elasticity theory is applied to describe stress-strain behavior of the elastomer matrix material. A bridging model is used to determine internal stresses generated in the constituent materials, and the overall compliance matrix of the composite at each load level follows easily. The proposed model has been applied to an interlock weft knitted polyester fiber fabric reinforced polyurethane matrix composite. Reasonably good correlation has been found between the theoretical and experimental results.