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Abstract:
In the present exploration, by unifying the simplified unit cell (SUC) micromechanical approach with the isogeometric numerical technique, a new solution model is developed to examine the small-scale dependent nonlinear stability feature of fuzzy fiber reinforced composite (FFRC) microplates under in-plane axial compression. A notable structural feature of this hybrid composite is the presence of uniformly aligned radially grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the surfaces of the glass fibers, all of equal length, together with the interphase area between the nanotubes and the polymer material. Additionally, the interphase region between CNTs and the matrix is modeled as a distinct phase. To capture the influence of material microstructure, the effective elastic constants are first predicted using the SUC micromechanics model, while size-dependent effects are incorporated through the modified strain gradient theory. These material characteristics are then combined with an isogeometric plate formulation to enable accurate and efficient numerical analysis of FFRC microplates with different geometries and boundary conditions. The results show that the presence of CNTs as well as the interphase region significantly enhances both the buckling resistance and postbuckling stability through improving the stiffness and load transfer capability, particularly when the interphase becomes thicker or stiffer. The examination also highlights the influence of glass fiber volume fraction as well as the role of strain gradient tensors in enhancing the load-bearing capability. Overall, the proposed framework provides a consistent link between micromechanical design features and structural-scale stability performance of FFRC microstructures.

Keywords:
Micromechanical model, Fuzzy fiber-reinforced composite, Size dependency, Interphase region