THERMOVISCOELASTIC CONSTITUTIVE MODELING OF POLYMER COMPOSITES SUBJECTED TO SPACE IRRADIATION

In this paper, a general linear constitutive theory of thermo-viscoela sticity for irradiated polymer composites is presented. The model is b ased upon thermodynamic considerations involving Helmholtz and Gibbs f ree energies, Clausius and Duhem inequality and micro-mechanical strai n, and stress fields associated with the fiber and matrix materials. T he results show that the transverse and shear creep compliances for a T300/934 graphite-epoxy composite increase as the volume fraction of m atrix increases and/or the fiber-matrix interfacial debonding increase s. The results. when compared with the available limited experimental data, exhibit good correlation.