A Stochastic XFEM Model to Study Delamination in PPS/Glass UD Composites: Effect of Uncertain Fracture Properties

A nonlinear extended finite element (XFEM) modeling framework under a stochastic cohesive zone is presented for realistic prediction of delamination in polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)/glass composites in mode I of fracture. The cohesive zone model adopts damage evolution of the material based on a bilinear traction-separation law, the critical energy release rate and the J-integral method to formulate the delamination interface under stochastic fracture properties. To demonstrate the application of the approach, numerical predictions are compared to experimental data using Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) tests. In particular, it is shown how the XFEM model can be used to capture test non-repeatability due to uncertain fracture properties, which is often the case during the characterization of composites using standard fracture tests. \ua9 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye