Tensile mechanical behavior of tungsten fiber network reinforced tungsten-copper composites: a numerical simulation study

Abstract

Tungsten fiber mesh reinforced copper-tungsten composites exhibit great application potential in aerospace and other fields due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, the influence of fiber mesh structural parameters on the mechanical behavior of the material remains unclear, necessitating systematic micromechanical research. In this study, an improved random sequential adsorption (RSA) algorithm is proposed to innovatively construct a refined three-dimensional random fiber mesh micromechanical model. Numerical simulations are systematically conducted to investigate the tensile mechanical properties of the material. The effects of microstructural parameters, such as fiber mesh diameter (40–200 μm), mesh number (30–100), rotation angle (0-90 °), and cross angle (15-90 °), on the tensile strength, plasticity, and anisotropy of the composite are explored. The regulatory mechanism of fiber mesh orientation and matrix deformation coordination on the mechanical behavior of the composite is elucidated, and the origin of material failure is revealed to be stress and strain concentration at fiber mesh nodes. The results show that with increasing fiber mesh diameter and mesh number, the tensile strength of the composite significantly improves, reaching 710 MPa at a fiber diameter of 200 μm and a mesh number of 100, representing an increase of 41% and 26% respectively compared to the baseline case. Fiber mesh rotation and crossing significantly affect the mechanical anisotropy of the material, with optimal material performance achieved when the angle between the loading direction and the fiber mesh is 0 °; while it is poorest at 45 °, with a difference of 34 MPa in tensile strength. This study establishes a computational simulation research paradigm for random fiber mesh composite material structural design, performance evaluation, and mechanism elucidation, providing important theoretical guidance for material optimization design. The research findings expand the analysis ideas and research methods for the mechanical behavior of composites and hold great significance for promoting the widespread application of fiber mesh composites in aerospace and other fields.