抄録
A composite material is essentially heterogeneous in which at least two raw materials are combined. This heterogeneity distinguishes composites from other conventional materials. Thus composite properties such as stiffness and strength should be discussed from the properties of each constituent materials. A micromechanics deals with the above problem. A so-called rule-of-mixture may be classified to the micromechanics, although it is too primitive.
It is well known that the strength of each individual fiber is not uniform. If a tensile load is applied to a unidirectional composite, the weakest fiber will break first and the stress redistribution will take place in the composite. Hence the failure process of composites must be discussed statistically. This is the primary subject of the micromechanical approach. In a composite material, failure can occur at fiber, matrix, and/or fiber-matrix interface which makes the failure process more complicated. This is also a subject of the micromechanics.
This paper reviews recent developments of the above micromechanical strength theory of continuous fiber composites, short fiber composites, and hybrid composites.
