 

Situation : the continous fibres are aligned in the direction of the applied
force

The force Pc applied to the composite is taken by fibre Pf and the matrix Pm

F
Pc = Pf + Pm 
A
 c A   f Af   m Am V f  Af / A Vm  1  V f

 c   f V f   mVm  c   f V f   m (1  V f )
  Tsf   mTs
 


 Tsf : tensile strength of the fibres

 m' : tensile stress borne by the matrix at the failure strain of fibres and
composite
The failure will depend on the volume fraction of fibres

The volume fraction of fibres is above a certain minimum values Vmin

the composite will fail when the fibres fail, thus the tensile strength  cTs
of the composite is given by :

V f  Vmin  cTs   Tsf Vf   m' Vm

For small volume fractions of fibres belom Vmin there is sufficient matrix
material present to carry the load as the fibres break.
The composite only fails when the stress on the matrix reaches the tensile
strength  mTs
of the matrix and multiple fracture of the fiber can occur.

V f  Vmin  Ts
 V Ts
c m m
 cTs   Tsf Vt   m' Vm and  cTs   mTsVm
 cTs   Tsf Vt   m' Vm and  cTs   mTsVm

So we can see that Vmin may be evaluated by equating these two

equations:

 mTsVm   Tsf Vmin   m' Vm

Vm  1  Vmin

 mTs 1  Vmin    Tsf Vmin   m' 1  Vmin 

 mTs   m'
Vmin  Ts
 f   mTs   m'
In fact the fibres do not lead to strengthening until a critical volume
Vcrit, which is slightly larger than Vmin

 cTs   mTs and Vm  1  Vcrit

     V   (1  Vcrit )
Ts
m
Ts
c
Ts
f crit
'
m

 Ts '
 m'   mTs
Vcrit  m m

 Ts
f
'
m   
' Ts
m f

 mTs
Vcrit
 Tsf