MICROMECHANICAL MODELING OF POLYMERIC COMPOSITES

The community of scientists and engineers associated with composite materials has reached a level of understanding of composite material systems such that we can now consider how composite material systems should be made, not just how they can be made. In particular, we can now address this question not only for quasi-static stiffness characteristics, but also in order to achieve long-term performance characteristics such as desired remaining strength and life, resistance to environment, and reliability and safety. However, this opportunity presents challenges that are substantial and complex. The present paper addresses an approach to the problem of combining our understanding, and our fundamental science and technology, in such a way that we can make such global predictions with reasonable accuracy for engineering utility. The approach proposed is the use of micromechanical models that represent the strength of composite material systems in terms of the parameters that control the manner in which the systems are synthesized and manufactured.