Abstract
The present study is part of an ongoing research work on damage of random short fiber reinforced composites. First, the tensile behavior of the material was studied. In its initial state, the material is planarly isotropic elastic. As the load increases, damage induces an anisotropic degradation of the material properties. Then, the degradation mechanisms were studied from microscopic observations of polished specimens. Finally, a theoretical model based on damage mechanics is proposed to predict the mechanical behavior of the material. Damage variables are used to evaluate the change of the compliance tensor. The evolution laws of the damage variables are established within a thermodynamic framework using the associated thermodynamic forces. Correlation with the tensile test results is good. However, additional experiments have to be carried out to fully validate the proposed model.