Cross-property correlations for short fiber reinforced composites with damage and their experimental verification

Effective properties of short fiber reinforced composite material containing internal defects are considered. A new method of evaluation of the elastic properties deterioration due to microcracks/microvoids is suggested. It is based on the explicit correlations between two groups of anisotropic effective constants—thermal conductivities and elastic stiffnesses—established for such composite materials. Theoretical estimates are in a good agreement with obtained experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]