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Why are continuous-fiber composites often described as having "near-zero" ductility compared to metals?

A{'text': 'Fibers are inherently ductile', 'label': 'A'}
B{'text': 'Matrix is brittle', 'label': 'C'}
C{'text': 'Manufacturing defects only', 'label': 'D'}
D{'text': 'Fibers fail in BRITTLE fracture with very little plastic deformation; once a fiber breaks, load redistributes catastrophically', 'label': 'B'}
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. {'text': 'Fibers fail in BRITTLE fracture with very little plastic deformation; once a fiber breaks, load redistributes catastrophically', 'label': 'B'}
Glass and carbon fibers fail at strains around 1-3% with essentially no plastic deformation. Metal yielding allows redistribution before fracture; composites fail much more abruptly. This drives design philosophy toward damage tolerance via fiber redundancy.
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