A review of analytical micromechanics models on composite elastoplastic behaviour

Elasto-plastic behavior of composite structures is a key problem in light-weight application, which has been investigated vastly for decades. Most approaches for composites elasto-plastic simulation can be split into three categories: 1) numerical methods also known as computational micromechanics methods, 2) variational approaches for upper and lower bounds, and 3) analytical homogenization models. In this study only focuses on the analytical models. Two steps are essential to establish an analytical model, i.e. choosing a suitable linear elastic homogenization models and a rational linearization theory so that linear elastic models can be extended to nonlinear elasto-plastic regime. Besides, considering the situation that isotropic materials may become anisotropic due to plastic deformation, three approaches are found in the literature to deal with the anisotropic properties and corresponding Eshelby's tensor. In summary, a comparative study is made among nine different models to evaluate their capabilities on elasto-plastic behavior simulation. Experiment data of a series of unidirectional composites under different loading cases are used for the purpose of comparison. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd.