| Results of micromechanical and finite element analyses are presented to quantify the effects of fiber spacing in unidirectional metal-matrix composites (MMC's). Computed tomography (CT) data of unidirectional metal-matrix composite samples provide information on fiber locations for the analysis of the fiber distribution within the composite. Image processing methods are developed to extract fiber centers from the CT data. A micromechanical model, based on the Generalized Method of Cells (GMC), is developed to include interface and crack elements and model the stress variations in a representative unit cell containing two half fibers. The minimum, average, and maximum distance between fibers, as measured from the CT data, is used as input to the model. The model results show that the stress between fibers increases as they get closer together. The CT data are also processed to produce a rectangular grid of finite elements which model the composite cross-section and where the stiffness matrix for each element is based on the local fiber volume fraction. The finite element results show that in some cases, stresses in the composite can be as high as 56% greater than the average stress and thereby set up stress concentrations which can initiate yielding and/or damage at loads well below those that would be calculated using average stress considerations only. |
