A multiscale interfacial cyclic debonding model for fibre-reinforced composites using micromechanics and molecular dynamics

In this study, a novel multiscale model based on the finite-volume direct averaging micromechanics (FVDAM) theory and molecular dynamics (MD) was developed to predict the interfacial cyclic debonding behaviour of composites. At the microscale, a solid interface with accumulated damage was incorporated using FVDAM, which enabled the simulation of both localised and homogenised interfacial damage responses under cyclic loading; a significant reduction in strength was observed after 10 loading cycles, implying the interfacial damage accumulation. At the atomic-scale, an interface model was built and subjected to cyclic loadings using MD simulation; the stress peak after 5 cycles was approximately half of the initial value, which provides damage parameters for upper-scale calculations and reveals the fundamental mechanism of interfacial cyclic debonding. The experimental data of unidirectional SCS-6/Ti-15-3 composites under cyclic loading were adopted to verify the proposed model. Furthermore, the influence of thermal residual stress and fibre orientation was investigated, which offers valuable insights for composite design and manufacturing.