A micromechanical analysis of inter-fiber failure in long reinforced composites based on the phase field approach of fracture combined with the cohesive zone model

The nature of failure in long fiber-reinforced composites is strongly affected by damage at the micro-scale. The presence of different phases at different length scales leads to a significant complexity in the failure progression. At the micro-scale, the complexity is due to the presence of different points of initiation for damage and the presence of cracks propagating both in the matrix and along the fiber–matrix interfaces. This scenario...