A creep/recovery model of dry fiber fabric during compaction considering temperature and in‐plane tension

Abstract In the manufacturing of fiber‐reinforced composite materials, the preforming stage of dry fiber fabric entails compaction operations carried out under constant pressure, a specific preforming temperature, and in‐plane tension. Throughout this process, permanent deformation and creep/recovery behavior are observed in the fabric, correlating with factors such as time, sustained pressure, temperature, and in‐plane tension. Effective control of fiber volume fraction and material composition necessitates a thorough comprehension of these phenomena as well as the capacity to predict them with accuracy. To solve this, a viscoelastic‐plastic model was put forth, which provides an account of the viscous effects on the fabric during its stages of compression and recovery. The proposed model incorporates changed Burgers units to manage time‐dependent deformations and plastic units to address permanent deformations. Through the application of a single set of parameters, the model precisely and comprehensively characterizes through‐thickness creep/recovery behavior of preformed dry fiber fabrics under varying conditions, including creep stress, temperature, and in‐plane tension. To enhance the practical utility of the model, an application has been developed and validated against experimental data conducted under diverse test conditions. The results demonstrate consistency between experimental curves and model‐predicted curves across various compression scenarios. Highlights A viscoelastic‐plastic model was proposed with a single parameter set. Stress, temperature, and in‐plane tension all exacerbated creep/recovery. Model captures temp. and time‐related creep/recovery with in‐plane tension. The model has been transformed into a practical application tool.