Hygrothermal Effects on the Stress Field of Laminated Composites

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Abstract
In this paper the effects of temperature and humidity on the stress field of laminated composites are investigated. A three-dimensional finite element program based on dis placement field was developed and the stress field induced by hygrothermal and/or initial strain was evaluated. Boundary conditions of zero-stress on the free surfaces were not taken into account in this preliminary investigation. Numerical results of the three-dimensional stress field for [90/0]2s laminates were plotted as a function of position. It is observed that some of the stress components induced by hygrothermal change are significant to cause failure of the laminate.