Micromechanical models for bending behavior of woven composites

Thin woven composites have been popular for space structures due to the symmetrical and balanced properties. Although in-plane properties of these materials can be estimated accurately using the classical lamination theory, the corresponding bending properties lack any accuracy for one- or two-ply woven laminates. Such estimates can result in errors of up to 200% in the maximum bending strains or stresses, and. up to 400% in the bending stiffnesses. This paper presents micromechanical models for bending behavior of woven composites considering the fiber bundles and the matrix and their interactions. First, homogenized material properties are predicted by a mosaic model based on the classical lamination theory. Then, higher fidelity finite element models are developed to estimate the bending properties of plain-weave composites. The results of finite element model are compared with experimental data, showing good agreement, particularly for a lamina.