Deformation of PBO/epoxy plain weave fabric laminae followed using Raman spectroscopy

Understanding of microscopic deformation behaviour of plain weave fabric la mina is essential in the analysis of the macroscopic mechanical properties of woven fabric composites. Many analytical models have been proposed to pr edict elastic properties of woven fabric laminae. The present paper is an a ttempt is made to fit experimental data obtained from the analysis of fibre deformation using Raman spectroscopy to the slice array model (SAM) to pre dict the local fibre strain distribution in the loading direction along the defined cell of a plain-weave lamina. Another model is proposed that combi nes the slice array and the off-axis (crimp) model and the experimental dat a are shown to fit this model rather better. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.