Investigation of Plastic Kink-Band in Fiber-Reinforced Composites with Fiber Misalignment Defect

The mechanical behaviors of composites subjected to compressive loads are critical concerns in composite structure designs. Misalignment of fiber orientation is a common manufacturing defect and has significant impact on compressive properties. In this paper, a Representative Volume Element (RVE) with misalignment defect is established with the consideration of Periodic Boundary Conditions (PBCs). A unidirectional lamina with misaligned carbon fibers is investigated based on Finite Element Method (FEM) with consideration of matrix plasticity. Drucker–Prager linear plastic model is utilized to describe elastic-to-plastic behavior of matrix. Parameters of Drucker–Prager model influence the formation and shape of kink-band. The mechanism of kink-band formation and propagation is discussed in this study.