A micromechanical study on the effect of intra-ply properties on transverse shear fracture in fibre reinforced composites

A micromechanics damage model is presented which examines the influence of intra-ply properties on the transverse shear deformation of a carbon fibre/epoxy composite. It was found that while thermal residual stress influenced the initial location of damage in the microstructure, its influence on the overall shear response was less pronounced. The fibre–matrix interface strength was found to control transverse shear strength, while the interface...