Mechanical properties prediction of 3D angle-interlock woven composites by finite element modeling method

A new 3D finite element model (FEM) is established based on the actual microstructure of 3D angle-interlock woven composites, considering the configuration of outer yarns, yarns cross-sectional deformation of and spatial orientation. A prediction of the meso-scale mechanical response and effective elastic properties of 3D angle-interlock woven composites have been presented to verify the validation of 3D FEM. The effects of woven parameters on the mechanical properties are investigated in detail. The results show that 3D FEM precisely simulates the spatial geometric characteristics of 3D angle-interlock woven composites. The reasonable overall stress fields and local stress distribution can be identified and well support the strength prediction. It is convenient to predict all the elastic constants of 3D angle-interlock woven composites with different parameters simultaneously using 3D FEM. The calculated results show that 3D angle-interlock woven composites have good mechanical properties and can be considered as anisotropy materials in a macro-scale. In addition, the warp yarn density, weft yarn density and fiber volume fraction are important factors affecting the mechanical properties of 3D angle-interlock woven composites.