Open-Hole Kenaf Fiber Composites Under Elevated Temperatures: Experimental And Numerical Approaches

Abstract An experimental programme to investigate the notched strength of open-hole woven fabric kenaf fiber-reinforced polymer (WKRP) composite plates under quasi-static tensile loading. It was found that all testing coupons were failed in net-section, fracture initiated at the hole edge due to stress concentrations and propagated to the plate edge. A two-dimensional numerical modelling framework was developed following previously experimental series. A constitutive model of the traction-separation relationship was incorporated by using extended finite element model (XFEM) and cohesive zone model (CZM). Moreover, the effects of elevated temperatures and thermal expansion coefficient was incorporated within the modelling framework. Both modelling techniques were evaluated and compared, albeit to insignificant differences of maximum load output in both techniques, XFEM does not require apriori failure path compared to CZM. Good agreements between the predicted modelling work and measured notched strength were obtained, with discrepancies in the range of 0.4 - 25%, both displayed consistency in the net-section failures.