Estimation of in-plane elastic properties of stitch-bonded, non-crimp fabric composites for engineering applications

Stitch-bonded, non-crimped fabric composites are among the most common forms of structural fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A complex three-dimensional finite element model is usually required for the accurate prediction of the mechanical properties of these composites. The objective of this work was to develop a model to predict the in-plane elastic properties of non-crimped fabric composites (without structural stitching) with no inputs from the experimental characterization of the composites themselves. The motivation for this work was to develop a swift, accurate methodology that would be very beneficial with ever reducing design cycle times (for screening different fabrics) and as these fabrics find new application areas. The modeling approach used only the properties of the dry non-crimped fabric and the resin as inputs. Models were constructed to account for the geometrical aspects of the non-crimped fabric such as yarn width and yarn spacing, which depend on the stitching pattern employed. The...