Comparative study on mechanical properties of CR340/CFRP composites through three point bending test by using theoretical and experimental methods

In this study, Cold Rolled 340 (CR340)/Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) composites were fabricated, and experiments and simulation were performed to compare their flexural properties from three-point bending tests. The mechanical properties of CR340 and CFRP were input by dividing the material regime into elastic, plastic, and fracture regions in order to improve the simulation reliability. A forming limit diagram was determined through a stretch test for the CR340 steel plate and used as data input in the simulation. For CFRP, simulation was carried out using the Hashin damage theory and damage evolution obtained from references. Results showed that the maximum bending stress, fracture displacement, and gradient in the experiments closely matched those obtained from the simulation.