This Article Full Text (OnlineFirst PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0731684407087372v1 28/8/897    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Nader, J. W. Articles by Lopez-Anido, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Probabilistic Finite Element Analysis of ASTM D6641 Compression Test for Marine Grade Polymer Matrix Composites

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, University of Maine, Orono, ME04469, USA

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	Abstract

The variability of compressive mechanical properties of a polymer matrix composite material with woven fabric reinforcement is studied using both experimental work and numerical simulations. Four E-glass/vinyl ester composite plates were fabricated using the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) by a US Navy contractor. The materials and process selected are representative of marine grade composites typically used by the US Navy. Standard ASTM D6641 coupons were obtained from the plates and the laboratory results were compared with those of a 3D probabilistic finite element analysis (FEA). In the probabilistic FEA model, elastic properties, strength parameters and geometric properties of the woven fabric E-glass/vinyl ester coupons were considered as random fields, and generated using Monte Carlo simulations. The study evaluates the effects of spatial correlation, finite element size, probability distribution functions (PDF) types and failure criteria on statistical strength properties of the [0/90]_2sf compression coupons. Comparisons of experimental and probabilistic FEA results provide useful information on how to assign mean, Coefficient of variance (COV) and PDF of material properties to individual finite elements within a mesh. The results are relevant in selecting proper test methods and developing design properties for these composites.

Key Words: vacuum-assisted resign transfer molding (VARTM), SCRIMP processing, probabilistic finite element analysis (FEA), applications-marine composites.

First published on June 4, 2008, doi:10.1177/0731684407087372

Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites 2009;28:897.

A more recent version of this article appeared on April 1, 2009


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?