Effect of texture on fracture of fibrous materials Original Research Article

We present numerical results for the effect of orientation and placement distribution of fibres on fracture processes in two-dimensional random fibrous networks. As can be expected, highest elastic modulus and strength can be obtained with bundles of oriented fibres. However, such an enhancement is obtained only at a cost of reduced strain-to-failure (i.e. the strain corresponding to the maximum in the stress-strain curve). We provide quantitative estimates of these effects and discuss micromechanical reasons for the observed differences in strength as well as in the number of failed connections prior to the macroscopic fracture. Generally, the strength of the network was found to be a function of the mean length 〈ls〉 of fibre segments—parts of fibres between intersections with other fibres—whereas strain-to-failure apparently appears not to be affected by 〈ls〉, but to be determined by the form of the segment length probability distribution. Finally, the form of the probability distribution for axial stresses is exponential independent of texture.