Abstract
It is shown that the initial load-deformation behavior of a wide range of fibrous assemblies, in which the forces are transmitted via a large number of frictional interactions, can be described by a simple power law relationship. The relationship was explored in detail for a polyester felt deformed in shear, and was used to make estimates of the number of fiber-to-fiber contacts and the interfiber contact forces in the assembly. The calculated values of these parameters were in reasonable agreement with direct measurements made by independent techniques.
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