Abstract
A viscoelastic material model has been proposed to characterize the curing and thermal effects on the viscoelastic material properties of both the matrix material and the composite lamina. Micromechanics simulations are used to generate the viscoelastic material properties based on the viscoelastic material properties of the matrix material and the fiber material. Micromechanical simulations of a unit cell for hexagonal periodic configuration of fibers are carried out to determine the material properties of a lamina. A homogenization procedure is adopted to simulate the effective viscoelastic material properties of a group of laminae. The simulation of a realistic composite structure utilizing the finite element method is also carried out to investigate the influence of the temperature and pressure histories on the curing process and to explain phenomena like the formation of marcels.
Wang, Kai (1999). Viscoelastic behavior of fiber-reinforced composite materials undergoing cure. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1999 -THESIS -W16.