OK - I think there has been some confusion here, so I'll try to clear it up with my last post on this topic.
Young Turk has been talking about short fiber composites. Short fiber (or discontinuous) composites (l/d~100) require very nearly perfectly random placement in the matrix in order to achieve full mechanical properties. As YT stated, this will typically yeild (in plane) isotropy regarding specific properties (read elastic modulus E1=E2). Much of the properties are dependant to the resin mixture, because there is no continuous loadpath through the fiber.
---------------------------------
|\-/\-|\|-\-/\-|\|-\-/\-|\|-/|-|
P<--- |-|\|-/|--|\|-\-/\-/\-|\|-\-/\-| --->P
|\-/\-|\|-\-/\-|\|-\-/\-|\|-/|-|
---------------------------------
Out of plane properties are very dependant on environment (Hot/Wet), and processing; thus allowables should be developed through testing. Short fiber composites have many applications, but are typically not used in structural application (some secondary structure).
Long fiber (structural) composites (l/d --> OO), however, are by nature, anisotropic. Inplane, the fiber is held in tension/compression along the length of a strand.
===============
P <--- =============== --->P
===============
Across the weave, the only componet of the matrix carying load is the resin.
P
^
|
==============
==============
==============
^
|
-P
The goal of structural composites are to carry (any) load in tension/compression along the lengh of a fiber (continuous loadpath).
BID (woven) Fabrics will yeild E1=E2, due to the fact that there are 2 sets of fiber strands running 90 deg offset, and woven together. I'm sure that the OP was testing some type of woven fabric or a laminate of 0/90 uni.
+++++++++++++
+++++++++++++
+++++++++++++
+++++++++++++
In most cases, FEA is the best way to perform analysis on these composites due to the high number of elastic constants (may be as many as 21). Remember, isotropy is a special case.
Wes C.
------------------------------
No trees were killed in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.