FE macro/micro models for contact temperature prediction at steel/composite interfaces

Finite element (FE) contact and thermal macro/micro models have been develo ped to study the real thermal behavior of a fiber/matrix microstructure und er sliding motion of a steel asperity. At first the contact parameters were evaluated using an approximate contact technique, followed by a transient thermal FE evaluation. The latter considers the heat partition between the steel asperity and the real fiber/matrix microenvironment of a normally ori ented carbon fiber/polyether ether ketone composite. The temperature result s obtained were compared with those representing a macroscopic approach.