Composite‐material mechanics: Properties of planar‐random fiber composites

Abstract This paper is primarily a literature review of over ten dozen papers on the methodology for predicting elastic stiffnesses, tensile strength, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity of planar‐random fiber composites from the reinforcement geometry and appropriate properties of the constituent materials. Particular attention is devoted to the effects of fiber volume fraction, fiber curvature, fiber length, and fiber orientation, since variations in these properties can be introduced during the manufacturing process.