Micromechanical modeling for fiber-reinforced composites based on element-based peridynamics

The microstructure of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites exhibits complex multiphase heterogeneity and inherent defects, posing challenges for the study of composite microstructures. This study proposes a micromechanical analysis framework for composite materials based on the element-based peridynamics (EBPD), which is used to predict the macroscopic mechanical properties and damage evolution process of composite structures. A microscale model with randomly distributed fibers and periodic boundary conditions is established within the framework of EBPD. The effective elastic constants and stress distribution status of representative volume element (RVE) are predicted by using the micromechanical model based on the EBPD. The accuracy and applicability of the proposed model are verified by comparing with the experimental results. Furthermore, the advantages of the EBPD model over the finite element method (FEM) pixel grid model in predicting stress and the initiation location of cracks within the microstructure of FRP composites have been evaluated through two numerical examples.