Numerical and experimental evaluation of the energetic release during static tensile tests on short fiber reinforced composite material

Abstract In this work, a simple numerical model is presented in order to evaluate the energetic release of short fiber composite PA66GF35 under static tensile tests. The micro-mechanical behavior of the fiber-matrix system was taken into account, as well as the fiber distribution and orientation. Numerical simulation at macro scale level were carried out to predict the temperature evolution of the material under monotonic load. Experimental validation was performed on dog-bone specimens monitoring the surface temperature with an infrared camera. A deviation from the linearity of the thermoelastic effect has been noticed for a stress level below the yielding strength of the material. The analysis of the temperature trend evolution may be a useful aid in order to identify damage initiation within the material that would lead to failure, especially under fatigue load, even adopting a simple and rapid static tensile test.