Study on quasi-static tensile mechanical properties of biomimetic helicoidal composite laminates

Abstract Numerous biomaterials exhibit intricate helicoidal structures renowned for their exceptional toughness. This study drew inspiration from the collagen fiber structure found in the scales of coelacanths to design composite laminates featuring double helicoidal layup configurations with varying pitch angles. A damage evolution model with damage initiation and linear stiffness degradation based on the Hashin failure criterion was used to describe the damage behavior of the materials. The impact of varying pitch angles on the quasi-static tensile properties of double helicoidal composite laminates is investigated. The results show that the magnitude of the pitch angle has a significant effect on the tensile properties of the laminates, and the tensile modulus of double composite laminates is highest when the pitch angle is 90°.