The influence of a compressive stress on the nonlinear response of ferroelectric crystals

The origin of nonlinearity in a ferroelectric crystal is domain reorientation, and such a process can be affected by the presence of a compressive stress. In this article we examine how a superimposed compression affects the evolution of new domain and how it changes the shape of the hysteresis loop. We start out by considering the thermodynamic driving force for domain reorientation, and then use a dual-phase homogenization theory to calculate the overall response. To uncover the influence of a compressive stress, the theory is used to calculate the hysteresis loop between the electric displacement D and the electric field E of a BaTiO₃ crystal, first without and then with a compression, using a two-consecutive 90° switch model (i.e. 0° → 90° → 180°). It is found that, from the initial 0° position, the compressive stress will increase the thermodynamic driving force and promote an earlier onset of the 90° domain, but its presence will cause a significant delay for the reorientation process to pass through the intermediate 90° state in route to its final 180° configuration. The D vs. E loop then exhibits a more round shape and a lesser steep slope near the coercive field. The delayed passage and more rounded shape are found to be consistent with a recent experimental observation [Burcsu et al., 2004. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 52, 823–846].     

扭转预应变对35CrMo钢低周疲劳性能的影响

自行设计了疲劳和扭转两用的试样,通过对试件预扭转不同的角度,系统研究35CrMo钢在不同扭转预应变下的低周疲劳性能,分析了扭转预应变后35CrMo钢的循环硬化软化特性、滞后回线、塑性应变能及循环弹性模量的变化规律,并对疲劳断口进行扫描电镜分析。结果表明:4种预扭转处理过的试件均表现出明显的循环软化行为,且循环软化规律及衰减的程度基本相同;循环应力范围及疲劳寿命随着预扭转角的增大而降低;应力应变滞后回线中加卸载曲线间的宽度随着预扭转角的增大而减小;塑性应变能都随着循环次数的增大而增加,且随着预扭转角的增大其增大速率下降;循环弹性模量都随着循环次数的增加而逐渐降低,且随着预扭转角的增大其衰减趋势减缓。     

On the Motive Power of Chemical Transformations in?Open Systems

The classical basic concepts of cyclic processes and the efficiency of heat engines are used here to conjecture about the laws of thermodynamics for open systems that can exchange matter with a surrounding environment. An ideal chemomechanical elastic bar is envisioned that changes its stiffness while undergoing a chemical transformation which is, in turn, influenced by the axial strain of the bar. Stable equilibrium states are identified as minimizers of the total energy, which is assumed to be nonconvex in type. If the bar is loaded and then alternatively placed in environments at chemical potentials either ?? _i or ?? _s >?? _i , a reversible cycle analogous to the classical Carnot cycle may be traced. In this case, the environmental ??chemical potential?? plays the role of the temperature and the ??chemical work?? the role of heat. For the system, the main form of interaction with the exterior, other than mechanical work, is the exchange of mass of a component at different environmental chemical potentials. It is then possible to obtain an elementary theory of chemical engines in which efficiency estimates (in terms of environmental chemical potentials) and related pertinent issues can be discussed. This model may serve as a basis for analyzing coupled chemo-mechanical processes occurring in materials such as ionized gels for possible applications as actuators, and to interpret complex phenomena in biological systems, such as the chemical kinetics of smooth muscles.     

Characterization of Anisotropic Polymeric Foam Under Static and Dynamic Loading

An orthotropic polymeric foam with transverse isotropy (Divinycell H250) used in composite sandwich structures was characterized at various strain rates. Uniaxial experiments were conducted along principal material axes as well as along off-axis directions under tension, compression, and shear to determine engineering constants, such as Young??s and shear moduli. Uniaxial strain experiments were conducted to determine mathematical stiffness constants, i. e., C _ij . An optimum specimen aspect ratio for these tests was selected by means of finite element analysis. Quasi-static and intermediate strain rate tests were conducted in a servo-hydraulic testing machine. High strain rate tests were conducted using a split Hopkinson Pressure Bar system built for the purpose using polymeric (polycarbonate) bars. The polycarbonate material has an impedance that is closer to that of foam than metals and results in lower noise to signal ratios and longer loading pulses. It was determined by analysis and verified experimentally that the loading pulses applied, propagated along the polycarbonate rods at nearly constant phase velocity with very low attenuation and dispersion. Material properties of the foam were obtained at three strain rates, quasi-static (10^?4 s^?1), intermediate (1 s^?1), and high (10³ s^?1) strain rates. A simple model proposed for the Young??s modulus of the foam was in very good agreement with the present and published experimental results.     

Anisotropy of martensitic transformations in modeling of shape memory alloy polycrystals

Based on the knowledge of the anisotropy associated with the martensitic transformations obtained from tension/compression experiments with oriented CuAlNi single crystals, a simple constant stress averaging approach is employed to model the SMA polycrystal deformation behaviors. Only elastic and inelastic strains due to the martensitic transformation, variant reorientations in the martensite phase and martensite to martensite transformations in thermomechanical loads are considered. The model starts from theoretical calculation of the stress-temperature transformation conditions and their orientation dependence from basic crystallographic and material attributes of the martensitic transformations. Results of the simulations of the NiTi, NiAl, and Cu-based SMA polycrystals in stress–strain tests are shown. It follows that SMA polycrystals, even with randomly oriented grains, typically exhibit tension/compression asymmetry of the shape of the pseudoelastic σ−ε curves in transformation strain, transformation stress, hysteresis widths, character of the pseudoelastic flow and in the slope of temperature dependence of the transformation stresses. It is concluded that some macroscopic features of the SMA polycrystal behaviors originate directly from the crystallography of the undergoing MT's. The model shows clearly the crystallographic origin of these phenomena by providing a link from the crystallographic and material attributes of martensitic transformations towards the macroscopic σ−ε−T behaviors of SMA polycrystals.     

Phenomenological study of parabolic and spherical indentation of elastic-ideally plastic material

A phenomenological study of parabolic and spherical indentation of elastic ideally plastic materials was carried out by using precise results of finite elements calculations. The study shows that no “pseudo-Hertzian” regime occurs during spherical indentation. As soon as the yield stress of the indented material is exceeded, a deviation from the, purely elastic Hertzian contact behaviour is found. Two elastic–plastic regimes and two plastic regimes are observed for materials of very large Young modulus to Yield stress ratio, E/σ_y. The first elastic–plastic regime corresponds to a strong evolution of the indented plastic zone. The first plastic regime corresponds to the commonly called “fully plastic regime”, in which the average indentation pressure is constant and equal to about three times the yield stress of the indented material. In this regime, the contact depth to penetration depth ratio tends toward a constant value, i.e. h_c/h = 1.47. h_c/h is only constant for very low values of yield strain (σ_y/E lower than 5 × 10^?6) when aE¹/Rσ_y is higher than 10,000. The second plastic regime corresponds to a decrease in the average indentation pressure and to a steeper increase in the pile-up. For materials with very large E/σ_y ratio, the second plastic regime appears when the value of the non-dimensional contact radius a/R is lower than 0.01. In the case of spherical and parabolic indentation, results show that the first plastic regime exists only for elastic-ideally plastic materials having an E/σ_y ratio higher than approximately 2.000.     

On Pressurized Curvilinearly Orthotropic Circular Disk, Cylinder and Sphere Made of Radially Nonuniform Material

A unified analysis is presented for the elastic response of a pressurized cylindrically anisotropic hollow disk under assumed conditions of plane stress, or a hollow cylinder under plane strain conditions, and a spherically anisotropic hollow sphere, made of material which is nonuniform in the radial direction according to the power law relationship. The solution for a cylinder under generalized plane strain is also presented. Two parameters play a prominent role in the analysis: the material nonuniformity parameter m, and the parameter ?? which accounts for the combined effects of material anisotropy, represented by the specified parameters (??, ??, ??), and material nonuniformity, represented by the parameter m. The radial and circumferential stresses are the linear combinations of two power functions of the radial coordinate, whose exponents (n ₁ and n ₂) depend on the parameters m and ??. New light is added to the stress amplification and shielding under combined effects of curvilinear anisotropy and radial nonuniformity. Different loading combinations are considered, including the equal pressure at both boundaries, and the uniform pressure at the inner or the outer boundary. While the stress state for the equal pressure loading is uniform in the case of isotropic uniform material (m=0, ??=1), and for one particular radially nonuniform and anisotropic material, it is strongly nonuniform for a general anisotropic or nonuniform material. If the aspect ratio of the inner and outer radii decreases (small hole in a large disk/cylinder or sphere), the magnitude of the circumferential stress at the inner radius increases for n ₁>0 (stress amplification), and decreases for n ₁<0 (stress shielding). Both can be achieved by various combinations of the material parameters m, ??, ??, and ??. While the stress amplification in the case of a pressurized external boundary occurs readily, it occurs only exceptionally in the case of a pressurized internal boundary. The effects of material parameters on the displacement response are also analyzed. The approximate character of the plane stress solution of a pressurized thin disk is discussed and the results are compared with those obtained by numerical solution of the exact three-dimensional disk model.     

A complete mechanical-property characterization of a single composite specimen

For a unidirectional lamina, the in-plane mechanical properties of interest areE ₁₁,E ₂₂, ν₁₂, ν₁₂ andG ₁₂. Only three of the first four listed are independent. The fourth may be calculated from the reciprocal relationshipE ₁₁ ν₂₁ =E ₂₂ ν₁₂, which results from stiffness-tensor symmetry. Measurement of any four of the five properties listed will completely characterize the in-plane mechanical properties. A longitudinal uniaxial tension test was used to evaluate longitudinal modulus and Poisson's ratio. A modified rail-shear apparatus was designed to measure shear modulus in a rail-shear orientation, as well as a totally constrained transverse modulus in a uniaxial tension test with an orientation transverse to the longest dimension of the specimen. A flexure test was also used to estimate transverse moduli, since the achievement of the totally constrained transverse-modulus measurement was impaired by the variability of load distribution and constraint across the breadth (10-in. length) of the specimen. An apparatus was designed that applied a line loading to the specimen, simply supported on two opposite sides, with the two remaining sides free. The feasibility of this technique was documented by comparing measured values of the transverse modulus and out-of-plane displacement for a [0°]₄ specimen to values obtained from the Levy solution for bending of an orthotropic plate.     

Large Strain Shear Compression Test of Sheet Metal Specimens

A hybrid experimental-computational procedure to establish accurate true stress-plastic strain curve of sheet metal specimen covering the large plastic strain region using shear compression test data is described. A new shear compression jig assembly with a machined gage slot inclined at 35° to the horizontal plane of the assembly is designed and fabricated. The novel design of the shear compression jig assembly fulfills the requirement to maintain a uniform volume of yielded material with characteristic maximum plastic strain level across the gage region of the Shear Compression Metal Sheet (SCMS) specimen. The approach relies on a one-to-one correlation between measured global load–displacement response of the shear compression jig assembly with SCMS specimen to the local stress-plastic strain behavior of the material. Such correlations have been demonstrated using finite element (FE) simulation of the shear compression test. Coefficients of the proposed correlations and their dependency on relative plastic modulus were determined. The procedure has been established for materials with relative plastic modulus in the range 5?×?10^?4?<?(E _p /E)?<?0.01. It can be readily extended to materials with relative plastic modulus values beyond the range considered in this study. Nonlinear characteristic hardening of the material could be established through piecewise linear consideration of the measured load–displacement curve. Validity of the procedure is established by close comparison of measured and FE-predicted load–displacement curve when the provisional hardening curve is employed as input material data in the simulation. The procedure has successfully been demonstrated in establishing the true stress-plastic strain curve of a demonstrator 0.0627C steel SCMS specimen to a plastic strain level of 49.2 pct.     

A computational study on the instrumented sharp indentations with dual indenters

Finite element analysis was performed to investigate the indentation response of elasto-plastic solids for conical indenters of half included angles of 60° and 70.3°. The interdependence indentation parameters resulting from a single indentation load–depth curve is considered. Regarding dimensional analysis, several dimensionless relationships are constructed as functions of the reduced elastic modulus-loading curvature ratio E¹/C and the strain hardening exponent n. Further, the duality between corresponding parameters with dual indenters is explored. Finally, a new method based on dual indenters is proposed to extract the strain hardening exponent and the reduced elastic modulus of an indented material. The accuracy of this method is verified and discussed with experimental data from the literature and representative materials.     

Analytical evaluation of stress-strain test data

An analytical model for deducing the actual stress-strain properties from laboratory test results is discussed. As an illustration, an elastic bilinear material is used for unconfined cylindrical compression test conditions, as simulated with a finite element analysis. The results obtained are applicable for assisting in evaluating measured strength and stiffness properties of some clay soils, concrete test cylinders, concrete cores, and rock cores.The quantitative results of this study can be used for interpreting measured stress-strain data for unconfined compression test conditions. The error in measured results is shown to be influenced by Poisson's ratio, length-to-diameter ratio of the specimen, end condition, and ratio of inelastic modulus to initial elastic modulus. Curves for adjusting the measured results to the theoretical results are presented.Nomenclature D specimen diameter - E _i initial elastic stiffness modulus - E _y elastic stiffness modulus beyond the yield stress, plastic or inelastic modulus - L specimen length - axial strain - _av average strain - _g gage length strain - _y yield strain - Poisson's ratio - compressive stress - _av average stress - _t theoretical compressive stress - _y yield stress - _ym measured stress at the yield strain     

Theoretical properties of cubic crystals at arbitrary pressure—III. Stability

A complete account is presented of the application of the principles of bifurcation analysis for general materials to the particular case of cubic crystals subjected to hydrostatic loading. The treatment of crystal stability is classical in that (i) the loading environment is fully specified, to sufficient order and in both its active and passive modes, and (ii) the potential energy of the system as a whole is examined in all the nearby, possibly inhomogeneous, configurations allowed by the kinematic constraints. Computations are made of the pressures and the bulk and shear moduli of the entire Morse-model family of fcc, bcc, and sc monatornic crystals under pure hydrostatic compression and tension. The stable range of each lattice as well as the potential bifurcations at the range limits are presented and discussed in terms of the role of the particular lattice structure and the effective range of the interatomic potential function (as specified by the parameter log β). The fee lattices are stable in compression and in tension up to an all-round stretch λ = Λ_k, at which point the bulk modulus vanishes; Λ_k, is a monotonically decreasing function of log β. The bcc lattices are stable for λ < Λ_CR, where the bulk modulus or the shear modulus μ vanishes (depending upon the value of log β) at λ = Λ_CR. For very large values of log β a second range of bcc stability is located in a region of hydrostatic expansion. The sc crystals are stable only in a range of hydrostatic tension and only for relatively short-range interatomic interactions (large log β); the present work appears to be the first in which a theoretical range of stability of sc crystals has been revealed. The question of the possibility of assessing lattice stability under load with the aid of higher order moduli at zero load is given consideration quantitatively for the fee lattices and the bcc lattices that are stable at zero load. Finally, the present approach to crystal stability is distinguished from some simplistic notional criteria based upon local convexity of strain energy and, for the Morse-model cubic crystals, quantitative comparisons are made with the present classical treatment of stability in a hydrostatic environment.     

损伤拉索的等效弹性模量及其参数分析

损伤拉索会出现线形松弛、应力水平降低的情况,必然会影响拉索的等效弹性模量。本文首先引入损伤程度、位置及范围3个参数,用以描述拉索损伤形态的特征,建立损伤拉索索力和线形计算公式,采用数值方法计算了损伤拉索弦向等效弹性模量精确数值,并和经典的等效弹性模量公式的计算结果进行了比较分析,分析了考虑损伤时两种不同计算方法结果的误差。计算表明,对于500m弦向长度以内的损伤拉索,拉索的弦向长度Lc越大,倾角越小,等效弹性模量的损失越大,并且应用割线模量公式计算的误差也越大,当Lc=500m时,损伤拉索相对误差值在2.5%~4.5%之间。弦向应变越小,等效弹性模量损失越大,弦向应变在[0.001,0.004]内,应用割线模量公式计算的相对误差小于3.5%。损伤程度及损伤范围对引用等效弹性模量公式的误差影响较大,倾角对等效弹模公式相对误差的影响也不容忽视。弦向长度、弦向应变、倾角和损伤程度参数都是通过改变拉索的松弛程度进而影响等效弹性模量的数值以及公式的误差。     

Modelling of laminated microstructures in stress-induced martensitic transformations

This paper is concerned with micromechanical modelling of stress-induced martensitic transformations in crystalline solids, with the focus on distinct elastic anisotropy of the phases and the associated redistribution of internal stresses. Micro-macro transition in stresses and strains is analysed for a laminated microstructure of austenite and martensite phases. Propagation of a phase transformation front is governed by a time-independent thermodynamic criterion. Plasticity-like macroscopic constitutive rate equations are derived in which the transformed volume fraction is incrementally related to the overall strain or stress. As an application, numerical simulations are performed for cubic β₁ (austenite) to orthorhombic γ₁′ (martensite) phase transformation in a single crystal of Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloy. The pseudoelasticity effect in tension and compression is investigated along with the corresponding evolution of internal stresses and microstructure.     

Measurement of length-scale and solution of cantilever beam in couple stress elasto-plasticity

Owing to the absence of proper analytical solution of cantilever beams for couple stress/strain gradient elasto-plastic theory, experimental studies of the cantilever beam in the micro-scale are not suitable for the determination of material length-scale. Based on the couple stress elasto-plasticity, an analytical solution of thin cantilever beams is firstly presented, and the solution can be regarded as an extension of the elastic and rigid-plastic solutions of pure bending beam. A comparison with numerical results shows that the current analytical solution is reliable for the case of σ0 〈〈 H 〈〈 E, where σ0 is the initial yield strength, H is the hardening modulus and E is the elastic modulus. Fortunately, the above mentioned condition can be satisfied for many metal materials, and thus the solution can be used to determine the material length-scale of micro-structures in conjunction with the experiment of cantilever beams in the micro-scale.     

Mechanical and structural investigation of isotropic and anisotropic thermoplastic magnetorheological elastomer composites based on poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) (SEBS)

Novel smart thermoplastic magnetorheological elastomer composites containing micron-sized magnetic carbonyl iron (CI) particles were prepared with a poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer utilized as the thermoplastic matrix rubber, and the structures and properties of the CI-SEBS composites were examined. The CI particles were uniformly dispersed in the composites prepared in the absence of the magnetic field at high temperatures T (>T $_{\rm g}^{\rm S})$ , and this isotropic composite exhibited a larger storage modulus G^?? compared to the SEBS matrix at room temperature (<?<T $_{\rm g}^{\rm S})$ where the EB phase therein was rubbery while the PS phase was in the glassy state. In contrast, the SEBS composite prepared under the magnetic field (with the intensity ???< 2.5?T) at high T (>T $_{\rm g}^{\rm S})$ contained a chain structure of CI particles. This chain structure became longer and better aligned on an increase of ?? up to a saturation of the particle magnetization and on an increase of the time interval of applying the field (that allowed the particles to move and equilibrate their aligned structure). The modulus G^?? of this ??pre-structured?? composite measured for both cases of ?? = 0 and ???> 0 in the direction perpendicular to the chain structure at room temperature was enhanced compared to G^?? of the isotropic composites. This difference of the filler effect (for ???=?0) and the magnetorheological effect (for ???> 0) between the pre-structured and isotropic composites was enhanced when the chain structure of the CI particles in the pre-structured composites became longer and better aligned. A mechanism(s) of this enhancement was discussed in relation to the morphologies (particle distribution) in the composites with the aid of a filler model and a molecular expression of the stress due to magnetically interacting particles.     

Measurement of stress distribution in sandwich beams under four-point bending

The bending-stress distributions through thickness in sandwich-composite beams are different from those obtained by conventional composite-beam theory because of the shear effect of the core, especially when the ratio of elastic moduli of face to core (k=E _f /E _c ) is large. Accordingly, the stress distributions in sandwich beams of composite materials with various combinations of face and core materials subjected to four-point bending are analyzed by introducing the multilayer-buitup theory. The bending stiffnesses of face and core, and the relative displacement between both faces are taken into consideration in the analysis. Photoelastic measurements were carried out on model specimens having four differentk-values and the applicable ranges of the two theories are discussed on the basis of the experimental results. It is shown that the experimental-stress distributions in sandwich-composite beams havingk-values larger than 120 can be well explained by the multilayer-builtup theory. The ratio of the coupling moment due to the axial forces in the two faces to the applied total moment, which denotes the sandwich structural efficiency, can be well estimated by the multilayer-builtup theory. The availability of this simple onedimensional theory should be useful in the structural design of sandwich beams with a small-core rigidity.     

Analytical and experimental evaluations of the influence of fracture surface roughness,its sliding actions and the associated plasticity on fatigue crack propagation

An investigation of fatigue crack propagation in rectangular AM60B magnesium alloy plates containing an inclined through crack is presented in this paper. The behavior of fatigue crack growth in the alloy is influenced by the fracture surface roughness. Therefore, in the present investigation, a new model is developed for estimating the magnitude of the frictional stress intensity factor, k_f, arising from the mismatch of fracture surface roughness during in-plane shear. Based on the concept of k_f, the rate of fatigue crack propagation, db/dN, is postulated to be a function of the effective stress intensity factor range, Δk_eff. Subsequently, the proposed model is applied to predict crack growth due to fatigue loads. Experiments for verifying the theoretical predictions were also conducted. The results obtained are compared with those predicted using other employed mixed mode fracture criteria and the experimental data.     

Numerical-experimental method for elastic parameters identification of a composite panel

A hybrid numerical-experimental approach to identify elastic modulus of a textile composite panel using vibration test data is proposed and investigated. Homogenization method is adopted to predict the initial values of elastic parameters of the composite, and parameter identification is transformed to an optimization problem in which the objective function is the minimization of the discrepancies between the experimental and numerical modal data. Case study is conducted employing a woven fabric reinforced composite panel. Three parameters (E₁₁, E₂₂, G₁₂) with higher sensitivities are selected to be identified. It is shown that the elastic parameters can be accurately identified from experimental modal data.