Finite element analysis of natural fiber composites using a self-updating model

Abstract

The aim of the current work was to illustrate the effect of the fibre area correction factor on the results of modelling natural fibre-reinforced composites. A mesoscopic approach is adopted to represent the stochastic heterogeneity of the composite, i.e. a meso-structural numerical model was prototyped using the finite element method including quasi-unidirectional discrete fibre elements embedded in a matrix. The model was verified by the experimental results from previous work on jute fibres but is extendable to every natural fibre with cross-sectional non-uniformity. A correction factor was suggested to fine-tune both the analytical and numerical models. Moreover, a model updating technique for considering the size-effect of fibres is introduced and its implementation was automated by means of FORTRAN subroutines and Python scripts. It was shown that correcting and updating the fibre strength is critical to obtain accurate macroscopic response of the composite when discrete modelling of fibres is intended. Based on the current study, it is found that consideration of the effect of flaws on the strength of natural fibres and inclusion of the fibre area correction factor are crucial to obtain realistic results.

Keywords

Jute computational mechanics discrete embedded elements element elimination technique

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Pickering

Efendy

. A review of recent developments in natural fibre composites and their mechanical performance. Compos Part A: Appl Sci Manuf 2016; 83: 98–112.

Alves Fidelis

Pereira

TVC

Gomes

ODF

, et al. The effect of fiber morphology on the tensile strength of natural fibers. J Mater Res Technol 2013; 2: 149–157.

Virk

Hall

Summerscales

. Tensile properties of jute fibres. Mater Sci Technol 2013; 25: 1289–1295.

Javanbakht Z, Hall W and Öchsner A. Computational evaluation of transverse thermal conductivity of natural fiber composites. In: Öchsner A and Altenbach H (eds) Improved performance of materials, advanced structured materials. Vol. 72. Cham: Springer, 2017, pp. 197–206.

Senthilkumar

Saba

Rajini

, et al. Mechanical properties evaluation of sisal fibre reinforced polymer composites: a review. Constr Build Mater 2018; 174: 713–729.

Virk

Hall

Summerscales

. Physical characterization of jute technical fibers: fiber dimensions. J Nat Fibers 2010; 7: 216–228.

Virk

Hall

Summerscales

. Modulus and strength prediction for natural fibre composites. Mater Sci Technol 2013; 28: 864–871.

Bažant

. Size effect. Int J Solids Struct 2000; 37: 69–80.

Virk

Hall

Summerscales

. Multiple data set (MDS) weak-link scaling analysis of jute fibres. Compos Part A: Appl Sci Manuf 2009; 40: 1764–1771.

10.

Summerscales J. Fibre distribution and the process-property dilemma. In: Beaumont PWR and Soutis C (eds) The structural integrity of carbon fiber composites. Vol. 42. Cham: Springer, 2017, pp. 301–317.

11.

Summerscales

Virk

Hall

. A review of bast fibres and their composites: part 3 – modelling. Compos Part A: Appl Sci Manuf 2013; 44: 132–139.

12.

Öchsner

. Computational statics and dynamics: an introduction based on the finite element method, Singapore: Springer, 2016.

13.

Javanbakht

Öchsner

. Computational statics revision course, Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2018.

14.

Summerscales

Virk

Hall

. Enhanced rules-of-mixture for natural fibre reinforced polymer matrix (NFRP) composites (comment on lau et al. in volume 136). Compos Part B: Eng 2019; 160: 167–169.

15.

Cox

. The elasticity and strength of paper and other fibrous materials. Br J Appl Phys 1952; 3: 72–79.

16.

Nairn

. Generalized shear-lag analysis including imperfect interfaces. Adv Compos Lett 2004, pp. 13.

17.

Krenchel

. Fibre reinforcement; theoretical and practical investigations of the elasticity and strength of fibre-reinforced materials, Copenhagen: Akademisk forlag, 1964.

18.

Javanbakht Z, Hall W and Öchsner A. Effective thermal conductivity of fiber reinforced composites under orientation clustering. In: Öchsner A and Altenbach H (eds) Engineering design applications, Advanced structured materials, 1869-8433. Vol. 92. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2019, pp. 507–519.

19.

Javanbakht

Hall

Öchsner

. The effect of partitioning on the clustering index of randomly-oriented fiber composites: a parametric study. Defect Diffus Forum 2017; 380: 232–241.

20.

Advani

Tucker

. The use of tensors to describe and predict fiber orientation in short fiber composites. J Rheol 1987; 31: 751–784.

21.

Kelly

Tyson

. Tensile properties of fibre-reinforced metals: copper/tungsten and copper/molybdenum. J Mech Phys Solids 1965; 13: 329–350.

22.

Milton

Arnold

. Introduction to probability and statistics: principles and applications for engineering and the computing sciences, 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003.

23.

Javanbakht

Öchsner

. Advanced finite element simulation with MSC Marc: application of user subroutines, Cham: Springer, 2017.

24.

Javanbakht

Hall

Öchsner

. Automatized estimation of the effective thermal conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials. Defect Diffus Forum 2016; 370: 177–183.

25.

Javanbakht

Hall

Öchsner

. Finite element evaluation of effective thermal conductivity of short carbon nano tubes: a comparative study. Defect Diffus Forum 2016; 372: 208–214.

26.

Miehe

Schröder

Becker

. Computational homogenization analysis in finite elasticity: material and structural instabilities on the micro- and macro-scales of periodic composites and their interaction. Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 2002; 191: 4971–5005.

27.

Gitman

Askes

Sluys

. Representative volume: existence and size determination. Eng Fract Mech 2007; 74: 2518–2534.

28.

Virk

Hall

Summerscales

. Modelling tensile properties of jute fibres. Mater Sci Technol 2011; 27: 458–460.

29.

Virk AS, Summerscales J and Hall W. A finite element analysis to validate the rule-of-mixtures for the prediction of the Young's modulus of composites with non-circular anisotropic fibres. In: Fangueiro RMEdS and Rana S (eds) Natural fibres, RILEM bookseries, 2211-0844. Vol. 12. Dordrecht: Springer, 2016, pp. 173–182.