Recent Progress in Creep Rupture Analysis of Unidirectional Composites Reinforced with Long Brittle Fibers

Abstract

The present paper deals with state of the art in creep rupture analysis of unidirectional composites reinforced with long brittle fibers. Experiments, numerical simulations and analytical models related with the creep rupture analysis are treated mainly on metal matrix composites, which can be mathematically modeled more easily because of the assumption of global load sharing. It is described that matrix creep and statistical fiber fracture play important roles in understanding and predicting the creep rupture of such composites appropriately. It is emphasized from the mechanics point of view that two kinds of stress relaxation, i.e., relaxation of matrix normal stress and that of interfacial shear stress around fiber breaks, are the key to the creep rupture in short and long terms, respectively.