Three-dimensional microstructural design of woven fabric composite materials by homogenization method (2nd report, detailed analysis of microscopic behavior under bending load)

For design and development of advanced textile composite materials, evaluation of their bending strength is essential. However, as far as we know, there has been no literature on the numerical simulation predicting the bending strength of textile composites. In this paper, we show a methodology for calculation of the bending strength for woven fabric composite materials by the homogenization method. Both the location and the cause of microscopic fracture in a fiber bundle and resin are discussed in detail. The effect of the pitch of woven fabrics on the bending characteristics is also noted.