Numerical simulation and experimental study of off-axis tensile performance of triaxial woven fabric reinforced rubber composites

Abstract

In this paper, the off-axis tensile behaviors of triaxial woven fabric reinforced rubber composites (TWFR) was studied experimentally and numerically. The tensile failure morphologies and stress-strain curves of specimens cut at seven different off-axis angles (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°) were obtained by finite element analysis and experiment. The finite element analysis results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. Stress-strain curves indicated the TWFR exhibited nonlinear tensile behavior under off-axial tension loading, and could be divided into the coupling working stage of yarns and rubber matrix in TWFR, and the stressed stage of yarns. Similar tensile properties were observed for specimens cut along the direction of angle bisector of any two sets of adjacent yarns. The tensile failure morphologies indicated that the failure mechanism of TWFR was tensile-shear mixed failure.