An elastic-plastic stress analysis in a thermoplastic composite cantileverbeam loaded uniformly

In this study an elastic-plastic stress analysis is carried out on a steel fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite cantilever beam loaded uniformly a t the upper surface. An analytical solution is found satisfying both the go verning differential equation in two dimensional case and boundary conditio ns. In this solution, the intensity of the uniform force is chosen small, t herefore the transversely normal stress component is neglected in compariso n with the other stress components. The thermoplastic matrix is reinforced unidirectional ly by steel fibers. The orientation angles of the fibers are chosen as 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees. Th e plastic region begins first at the upper surface of the beam for 30 degre es and 45 degrees orientation angles. However, it starts earlier at the low er surface for 60 degrees orientation angle. The intensity of the normal re sidual stress component in the axial direction of the beam is maximum at th e upper and/or lower surfaces in the beam. The intensity of the shear resid ual stress is maximum on or around the axial axis of the beam.