A parametrized continuum constitutive model for reinforced thermoplastic composites with mechanically interlocked interface

Reinforced thermoplastic composites (RTPC) exhibit weak interfacial strength due to the low surface energy of the polymer matrix. Recently, a concept of controlled mechanical interlocking was introduced that showed significant improvement in the interfacial shear strength with pure mechanical interlocking and no chemical bond/friction. In this paper, a parametrized continuum material model is developed through computational homogenization for an E-glass/polypropylene (PP) composite system with a mechanically interlocked interface. Such parametric models not only elucidate the effects of the microstructural parameters on the mechanical behavior of the material but also enables the optimization of the composite at the microstructure level.