Thermomechanical analysis of elastic–plastic fibrous composites comprising an inhomogeneous interphase

An analytical approach is presented to investigate thermomechanical response of composites consisting of a transversely isotropic fiber, an inhomogeneous interphase and an elastic–plastic matrix. Using the existing cubic variation to describe the continuous change of the material properties of the interphase and dividing the interphase into a number of subdomains, the continuously varying material properties of the interphase are approximated by the constant ones of these subdomains, and the deformations and stresses of the interphase are described with the same formulae as those of transversely isotropic fibers. The analytical expressions of elastic–plastic deformations and stresses of the matrix are obtained from the basic equations of axisymmetric problems in elasticity, the assumption of generalized plane strain, the linear strain–hardening stress–plastic strain relation, Tresca’s yield condition, the associated flow rule and impressibility of plastic deformation. The boundary conditions of the composites and the continuities of the radial displacement and stress between different components are used to determine all the unknown constants and the obtained analytical solution is applied to thermomechanical analysis of the composites. The effects of the inhomogeneity of the interphase, and the plasticity and material properties of the matrix on the thermomechanical response of the composites are investigated.