Simulation of damage evolution in composites: A phase-field model

Abstract In this study, a phase-field model is introduced for the simulation of damage evolution in composite systems. The damage evolution in discontinuously reinforced and laminated composites, including elastic–plastic cases, was studied parametrically in order to establish its viability. The algorithm offers significant advantages to describe the microstructure and topological changes associated with the damage evolution in comparison to conventional simulation algorithms, due to the absence of formal meshing. The known damage mechanisms for specific composite systems naturally evolve from the algorithm with a simple evolution equation.