Abstract
This study examined carbon/epoxy cylinders with a bias fiber orientation ranging from ±40° to ±60°. The cylinders were pressurized internally and they exhibited a matrix-dominated failure. Coupons with a fiber orientation of 50° or less exhibited a shear failure mode, while coupons with a fiber orientation of 55° or more had a transverse failure mode. The gradual failure process was modeled using a phenomenological approach, where the stiffness degradation was examined in the material coordinate system. Biaxial stress–strain curves were simulated for each fiber angle using Zinoviev damage and Sun plasticity models, extended for biaxial tension. The models were only able to describe the shear response of bias pressure vessels considered here. The experimental results showed slight hardening in shear and significant softening in the transverse direction. Accounting for these post-yield effects significantly improved the correlation with experiment.
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