5. Mechanical Response of T800/F3900 Composite at Various Strain Rates

Composite materials are becoming more and more popular in the automotive and aerospace industries. Many models exist that can describe the plastic deformation and failure response of composites, however, a new orthotropic material model (MAT_213 in LS-DYNA) has been developed to improve the predictive accuracy of numerical simulations of dynamic structural events involving composite materials. A test series was devised to calibrate this model for T800/F3900, a strengthened epoxy carbon-fiber reinforced polymer. In this paper, the mechanical response of T800/F3900 is studied experimentally under different loading conditions. Tests include in plane uniaxial compression, in plane transverse tension, compression and out of plane tension, compression at various strain rates. High rate tension and compression tests are conducted using the split Hopkinson bar technique, while static tests are conducted on a hydraulic load frame. In plane and out of plane deformations are studied using Digital Image Correlation (DIC).