Response of Cross-Ply Composite to Off-Axis Loading

Polymer composites are known to exhibit nonlinear stress–strain response due to nonlinearly elastic or plastic deformation of the matrix and damage accumulation. Mechanistic modeling of material response explicitly accounting for these interacting factors often leads to complex theories. Plasticity theory formalism provides an alternative for nonlinear deformation description of composite material. We examine the applicability of an orthotropic plasticity model, developed by Sun et al. for unidirectionally reinforced composite, to composite laminate. The response of a symmetric and balanced cross-ply glass/epoxy laminate is studied under uniaxial tensile loading at different angles to the …