Modeling and influencing factor analysis for the temperature and damage dependent tensile strength of fiber/polymer composites

Abstract With the rapid development of aerospace technology, the application of fiber/polymer composites in extreme environments especially at high temperature gets more and more extensive, the tensile properties of fiber/polymer composites in different temperatures environment have become a critical issue of concern. In this work, a temperature and damage dependent tensile strength (TDDTS) model for fiber/polymer composites was presented based on the force‐heat equivalence energy density principle and the damage failure analysis. The TDDTS model considers the combined effects of temperature, the evolution of constituents' properties and damage with temperature. Meanwhile, the TDDTS model has advantages from the aspects of prediction accuracy and convenience by comparison with our previous model and the Curtin's model. Further on, the influencing factors analysis of fiber/polymer composites concerning the tensile properties and damage evolution with temperature was conducted. This study offers a reliable model for predicting the TDDTS of fiber/polymer composites, and provides important insight for the strength degradation mechanism and the damage evolution.