RECENT PROGRESS IN CREEP-RUPTURE ANALYSIS OF UNIDIRECTIONAL COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH LONG BRITTLE FIBERS

The present paper deals with state of the art in creep rupture analysi s of unidirectional composites reinforced with long brittle fibers. Ex periments, numerical simulations and analytical models related with th e creep rupture analysis are treated mainly on metal matrix composites , which can be mathematically modeled more easily because of the assum ption of global load sharing. It is described that matrix creep and st atistical fiber fracture play important roles in understanding and pre dicting the creep rupture of such composites appropriately, It is emph asized from the mechanics point of view that two kinds of stress relax ation, i.e., relaxation of matrix normal stress and that of interfacia l shear stress around fiber breaks, are the key to the creep rupture i n short and long terms, respectively.