AN ELASTIC-VISCOPLASTIC FINITE-ELEMENT MODEL FOR MULTIMATERIALS - FORMULATION AND EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION

A finite element model for multimaterial configurations is presented. The material behavior of each body within a composite material is give n by an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive law. Automatic remeshing tec hniques which preserve the topology of the different bodies of materia l are used to simulate large deformations of the multiphasic system. A n experimental set-up has been designed in order to simulate the compa ction of multilayer composite materials. Plasticine was chosen as a mo del material. Experimental results are used to validate the finite ele ment model for consolidation of multilayer composites.