A new damage-based failure criterion for nonlinear behavior of fibrous composite materials

In the present paper, a novel combined damage-based failure criterion is being proposed for predicting failure stresses in unidirectional fibrous composite laminas or laminates having a nonlinear material behavior. The present model incorporates the effect of a quantitative damage factor on the final stresses at failure. This is achieved through a new term called the quantitative directional damage-index (QDD-I) which assesses the contribution and effectiveness of damage in each principal material direction on the present failure criterion. From the QDD-I, it is proved that the principal material-direction with a linear or nonlinear stress-strain behavior showed a quantitative damage response on the proposed failure criterion. In a composite lamina, the contribution of fiber-damage and matrix transverse-damage are proved to have minor effects on the failure criterion, while in-plane shear-damage has the major effect. In order to verify the suitability and applicability of the criterion, results are tested using various theoretical and experimental data available from the literature. Furthermore, the model is compared with other failure criteria under both uniaxial and biaxial loading cases from a worldwide comparison, which showed reasonable accuracy and good agreement. Three types of fibrous composite materials are used; Graphite/Epoxy 4617/Modmore-II, Carbon/Epoxy AS4/3501-6, and Boron/Epoxy Narmco 5505.