Safety Evaluation of Carbon Fiber/Epoxy Composite Link Using Micromechanics of Failure Criterion

Abstract

This study explored the feasibility of replacing a metal link with a carbon fiber/epoxy composite link and assessed its capacity to withstand a given load condition using failure criteria. The micromechanics of failure (MMF) criterion was employed to predict the failure mode of the composite material, and mechanical tests were conducted to obtain reference strength parameters for MMF. The findings revealed that the stress distribution was concentrated near the hole, and weaknesses were found around the hole and at the end of the link under bending conditions. Based on the failure index, matrix tensile failure was predicted at the end of the link, and fiber compression failure occurred near the hole. The methods and results obtained from this study can provide valuable guidelines for assessing the safety of composite materials under specific load conditions when replacing metal parts with carbon fiber/epoxy composites to achieve weight reduction.