Modeling creep in long fiber reinforced laminated composites using micromechanical rules

In recent decades polymeric composites have received considerable attention from different industrial sectors due to their outstanding properties. Despite the multi-purpose properties, polymers undergo creep even at room temperature which is considered as a disadvantage for their long-term applications. Numerous methods have been suggested by researchers in order to predict creep in polymeric composites. In this article, a brief review is conducted on fundaments of creep in polymers and different theoretical methods presented for creep modeling in long fiber reinforced laminated composites are categorized. Then, a new method for evaluating long-term creep in polymeric composites relying on short-term experimental data on pure resin is developed. The developed model is just in need of simple tension-creep tests on pure resin as input and creep behavior of pure resin is evaluated accordingly. Then, the results are used to estimate creep behavior a single composite laminate and finally creep behavior of laminated composites with arbitrary lay-up configurations is theoretically characterized. In parallel, the capability of micromechanical rules in estimating creep behavior of composites using its constituent’s behavior is investigated. A comparison between published experimental observations and theoretically obtained results imply on proper performance of developed modeling procedure for analyzing creep phenomenon in polymeric composites.