Development of dynamic constitutive model of epoxy resin considering temperature and strain rate effects using experimental methods

Abstract Epoxy resin composite materials are increasingly used in the aerospace field. The dynamic mechanical behavior of the resin matrix is of great significance in studying the impact response of composites. In the current study, the quasi-static and dynamic compression properties of TDE86 epoxy are studied at different temperatures, and the influence of the temperature and strain rate on the mechanical properties of epoxy are analyzed. The quasi-static and dynamic compression stress–strain curves are used to fit the parameters of the Zhu–Wang–Tang (ZWT) constitutive equation at different temperatures. A subroutine for the ZWT constitutive model is developed in ABAQUS, and numerical simulations of split Hopkinson pressure bar tests are performed. The results show that, at low strain rates, the elastic modulus, yield stress, and yield strain of the epoxy increase as the strain rate increases and decrease as the temperature increases. The dynamic stress–strain curve of the epoxy can be divided into four stages, namely the initial elastic, yield, strain softening, and unloading stages. There is no distinct relationship between the yield strain and the logarithmic strain rate under high strain rates, although the yield strain is generally smaller than that under low strain rates. The yield stress increases linearly with the logarithmic strain rate. Under the same strain rate, the yield stress decreases as the temperature increases, whereas the yield strain does not change monotonically. By comparing the stress–strain curves obtained by simulations with the test results, the developed subroutine is validated and the applicability of the ZWT constitutive model at different temperatures is verified.