Investigation of the micromechanical behavior of a representative elementary volume reinforced with linear and curvilinear fibers: A comparative study

This study aims to investigate the micromechanical behavior of composite materials reinforced with linear and curvilinear fibers, focusing on the influence of fiber orientation and matrix type on mechanical performance. The motivation behind this research stems from the need to optimize composite structures by understanding how different fiber-matrix combinations affect their mechanical response, particularly in elastic deformation. A finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted using Abaqus 6.17.1, where a representative elementary volume (REV) approach was employed. The study compares the behavior of glass/epoxy, glass/polypropylene, alfa/epoxy, and alfa/polypropylene composites by varying fiber orientations from 0o to 90o and analyzing the resulting force-displacement curves. The results indicate that fiber orientation significantly impacts the elastic resistance of the composite, with 0o fiber alignment yielding the highest stiffness. Additionally, glass/epoxy composites demonstrated superior mechanical performance compared to the other material combinations. Notably, the inclusion of curvilinear fibers influenced the stress distribution, particularly in glass/polypropylene composites, where resistance decreased as fiber orientation increased.