Three-dimensional buckling analysis of thermoplastic composite laminated plates with single vertical or horizontal strip delamination

Abstract

In this study, the effects of the strip vertical or horizontal delamination width on the buckling loads of the simply supported woven steel-reinforced thermoplastic (LDFE, F.2.12) laminated composite plates of four layers have been investigated. Three-dimensional finite element models of the square laminated plates have been established. There are two different delamination shapes, between second and third layers in each of these models. The stacking sequences are chosen as [0°]4, [15°/-15°]s, [15°/-15°]2, [30°/-30°]s, [30°/-30°]2, [45°]4, and [45°/-45°] s. Firstly the harmony between theoretical and finite element solutions' results of the plate without delamination has been shown. Then, the buckling loads have been determined for each models having different delamination width. The results show that important decreases in the buckling loads occur after a certain value of the delamination width. The changing ratios of the results of the symmetric or antisymmetric cases are approximately the same for each angle. For the high values of orientation angles, the values and changing ratios of the buckling loads are also higher than those of the low angles.