Pushing boundaries in micromechanical testing of aerospace composites

Bottom-up multiscale modelling has proven to be a powerful tool for predicting the deformation and damage of fibre-reinforced polymer composites. In this strategy, three scales of the composite are considered: the ply level (μm scale), the laminate level (mm scale) and the structure level (m scale). At the ply scale, the properties of the matrix and the fibre-matrix interface, which are dependent on the parameters of the consolidation process, are characterized in situ using micromechanical testing techniques based on nanoindentation. To this end, progress on multiscale modelling of composites is directly linked to the availability of suitable mechanical testing techniques at the microscale. In this talk, progress on novel micromechanical testing techniques will be presented.

About the speakers

Mario Rueda completed his PhD at IMDEA Materials Institute and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in 2021. He worked on micromechanics of fibre-reinforced polymer composites at high strain rates. Dr. Rueda currently works as Research Associate at IMDEA Materials Institute within the Composite Materials Group. Research interests: mechanics of materials, nanomechanics, composites, high strain rates.