Volume 8, Issue 3, 1999

Thermally activated mechanical composite switches

C.A. Mahieux and K.L. Reifsnider

Materials Response Group, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060 USA

ABSTRACT

A model describing the stiffness-temperature relationship of polymers was recently developed1 ,2 . The present paper focuses on the integration of this model into classical lamination theory3 . The computer simulations revealed that the stresses in off axis laminates are non-monotonic when temperature increases, i.e., continuous fibre reinforced polymer matrix composites seem to behave as thermally activated mechanical switches.

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