ON PLASTIC STRAIN DISTRIBUTION AND TEXTURE DEVELOPMENT IN FIBER COMPOSITES

A model situation-plane-strain deformation of a composite with many in finitely long. regularly arranged, undeformable fibers perpendicular t o the plane of straining-has been analyzed by finite-element simulatio n of an isotropic continuum and subsequent polycrystal simulation of t exture development for the strain and rotation paths of some character istic material points. The principal effect of the inclusions is a cha nge in flow pattern in the areas far away from them; by comparison, '' dead-zone'' or ''cluster'' effects in the immediate vicinity of the in clusions are quite small in extent. The changed flow pattern in about half the matrix material consists of shears and rotations that change both with progressing deformation and with location. This causes signi ficant alterations in texture development, which tend toward contribut ing a uniform background to the average matrix texture. However, other areas of the matrix do contribute definite texture components. The re levance of these conclusions to other geometries and loading paths is discussed.