Effect of fibre volume on tensile properties of real unidirectional fibre-reinforced composites

Abstract

A simple theoretical model is proposed to account for the effect of high fibre loading on the tensile properties of real, unidirectionally reinforced fibre composites. Based on the reduction of interfacial surfaces due to fibre-fibre interaction, a modification to the rule of mixtures is proposed. The experimentally observed non-linear variation of tensile strength with fibre volume can be predicted by the modified rule. Experimental data from the literature are used to validate and verify the model and show good agreement with the predictions.