Abstract
Tires are fabricated using single ply fiber reinforced composite materials, which consist of a set of aligned stiff fibers of steel material embedded in a softer matrix of rubber material. The main goal is to develop a mathematical model to determine the local stress and strain fields for this isotropic fiber and matrix separated by a linearly graded transition zone. This model will then yield expressions for the internal stress and strain fields surrounding a single fiber. The fields will be obtained when radial, axial, and shear loads are applied. The composite is then homogenized to determine its effective mechanical properties—elastic moduli, Poisson ratios, and shear moduli. The model allows for analysis of how composites interact in order to design composites which gain full advantage of their properties.
