Mechanical experiments to identify homogeneous bodies

All bodies are inhomogeneous at some scale but experience has shown that some of these bodies can be idealized as a homogeneous body. Here we examine which bodies can be idealized as a homogeneous body when they are subjected to a non-dissipative mechanical process. This is done by studying circumstances in which an inhomogeneous body admits pure stretch homogeneous deformations. Then, we devise experiments wherein these circumstances are prevented. If homogeneous deformation is observed in these devised experiments, the body could be modeled as a homogeneous body. We limit our analysis to a class of isotropic elastic bodies deforming from a stress free reference configuration whose Cauchy stress is explicitly related to left Cauchy–Green deformation tensor. It is further assumed that the constitutive relation is differentiable function of the position vector of material particles in the stress free reference configuration. Then, we find that a cuboid made of compressible and isotropic material could be modeled as a homogeneous body if it deforms homogeneously due to the application of the normal stresses on all of its six faces and the magnitude of the normal stresses on three orthogonal faces are different. A cuboid made of incompressible and isotropic material could be modeled as a homogeneous body, if it deforms homogeneously in two different biaxial experiments, such that the plane in which the forces are applied in the two biaxial experiments is mutually orthogonal.     

Initial stresses in elastic solids: Constitutive laws and acoustoelasticity

On the basis of the nonlinear theory of elasticity, the general constitutive equation for an isotropic hyperelastic solid in the presence of initial stress is derived. This derivation involves invariants that couple the deformation with the initial stress and in general, for a compressible material, it requires 10 invariants, reducing to 9 for an incompressible material. Expressions for the Cauchy and nominal stress tensors in a finitely deformed configuration are given along with the elasticity tensor and its specialization to the initially stressed undeformed configuration. The equations governing infinitesimal motions superimposed on a finite deformation are then used to study the combined effects of initial stress and finite deformation on the propagation of homogeneous plane waves in a homogeneously deformed and initially stressed solid of infinite extent. This general framework allows for various different specializations, which make contact with earlier works. In particular, connections with results derived within Biot's classical theory are highlighted. The general results are also specialized to the case of a small initial stress and a small pre-deformation, i.e. to the evaluation of the acoustoelastic effect. Here the formulas derived for the wave speeds cover the case of a second-order elastic solid without initial stress and subject to a uniaxial tension [Hughes and Kelly, Phys. Rev. 92 (1953) 1145] and are consistent with results for an undeformed solid subject to a residual stress [Man and Lu, J. Elasticity 17 (1987) 159]. These formulas provide a basis for acoustic evaluation of the second- and third-order elasticity constants and of the residual stresses. The results are further illustrated in respect of a prototype model of nonlinear elasticity with initial stress, allowing for both finite deformation and nonlinear dependence on the initial stress.     

The Equations of Motion of a Plate with Residual Stress

We consider a three-dimensional body which is at rest in a cylindrical configuration of height 2ε. We assume that the material is residually stressed and that it responds elastically to deformations from the reference configuration. Under appropriate assumptions on the data, and using weak-convergence methods, we determine the limit, as ε goes to zero, of the elasto-dynamic problem. The plate problem obtained, as in the case without residual stress, splits into two problems: one governing the in-plane displacement and the other determining the out-of-plane motion.     

Extension,inflation and torsion of a residually stressed circular cylindrical tube

In this paper, we provide a new example of the solution of a finite deformation boundary-value problem for a residually stressed elastic body. Specifically, we analyse the problem of the combined extension, inflation and torsion of a circular cylindrical tube subject to radial and circumferential residual stresses and governed by a residual-stress dependent nonlinear elastic constitutive law. The problem is first of all formulated for a general elastic strain-energy function, and compact expressions in the form of integrals are obtained for the pressure, axial load and torsional moment required to maintain the given deformation. For two specific simple prototype strain-energy functions that include residual stress, the integrals are evaluated to give explicit closed-form expressions for the pressure, axial load and torsional moment. The dependence of these quantities on a measure of the radial strain is illustrated graphically for different values of the parameters (in dimensionless form) involved, in particular the tube thickness, the amount of torsion and the strength of the residual stress. The results for the two strain-energy functions are compared and also compared with results when there is no residual stress.     

Residual stresses in random elastic composites: nonlocal micromechanics-based models and first estimates of the representative volume element size

Random elastic composites with residual stresses are examined in this paper with the aim of understanding how the prestress may influence the overall mechanical properties of the composite. A fully non-local effective response is found in perfect analogy with the un-prestressed case examined in (Drugan and Willis, J. Mech. Phys. Solids 44(4):497–524, 1996). The second gradient approximation is considered and the impact of the residual stresses on the estimate of the RVE size is studied whenever the local response is used to describe the mechanical properties of the heterogeneous medium. To this aim, total and incremental formulations are worked out in this paper and the influence of both uniform and spatially varying prestresses are studied. Among other results, it is shown how rapid oscillations of relatively “small” residual stresses in most cases may result in the impossibility of describing the overall behavior of the composite with a local constitutive equation. On the other hand, prestresses with relatively high amplitudes and slow spatial oscillations may even reduce the RVE size required for approximating the mechanical properties of un-prestressed heterogeneous media with a local constitutive equation.     

A Novel Cutting Strategy for Measuring Two Components of Residual Stresses Using Slitting Method

An exact knowledge of residual stresses that exist within the engineering components is essential to maintain the structural integrity. All mechanical strain relief (MSR) techniques to measure residual stresses rely on removing a section of material that contains residual stresses. Therefore, these techniques are destructive as the integrity of the components is compromised. In slitting method, as a MSR technique, a slot with an increasing depth is introduced to the part incrementally that results in deformations. By measuring these deformations the residual stress component normal to the cut can be determined. Two orthogonal components of residual stresses were measured using the slitting method both experimentally and numerically. Different levels of residual stresses were induced into beam shaped specimens using quenching process at different temperatures. The experimental results were then compared with those numerically predicted. It was shown that while the first component of residual stress was being measured, its effect on the second direction that was normal to the first cut was inevitable. Finally, a new cutting configuration was proposed in which two components of residual stresses were measured simultaneously. The results of the proposed method indicated a good agreement with the conventional slitting.     

Effect of the silicon-carbide micro- and nanoparticle size on the thermo-elastic and time-dependent creep response of a rotating Al–SiC composite cylinder

The history of stresses and creep strains of a rotating composite cylinder made of an aluminum matrix reinforced by silicon carbide particles is investigated. The effect of uniformly distributed SiC micro- and nanoparticles on the initial thermo-elastic and time-dependent creep deformation is studied. The material creep behavior is described by Sherby’s constitutive model where the creep parameters are functions of temperature and the particle sizes vary from 50 nm to 45.9 μm. Loading is composed of a temperature field due to outward steady-state heat conduction and an inertia body force due to cylinder rotation. Based on the equilibrium equation and also stress-strain and strain-displacement relations, a constitutive second-order differential equation for displacements with variable and time-dependent coefficients is obtained. By solving this differential equation together with the Prandtl–Reuss relation and the material creep constitutive model, the history of stresses and creep strains is obtained. It is found that the minimum effective stresses are reached in a material reinforced by uniformly distributed SiC particles with the volume fraction of 20% and particle size of 50 nm. It is also found that the effective and tangential stresses increase with time at the inner surface of the composite cylinder; however, their variation at the outer surface is insignificant.     

End effects for plane deformations of an elastic anisotropic semi-infinite strip

In the linear theory of elasticity, Saint-Venant's principle is used to justify the neglect of edge effects when determining stresses in a body. For isotropic materials, the validity of this is well established. However for anisotropic and composite materials, experimental results have shown that edge effects may persist much farther into the material than for isotropic materials and as a result cannot be neglected. This paper further examines the effects of material anisotropy on the exponential decay rate for stresses in a semi-infinite elastic strip. A linearly elastic semi-infinite strip in a state of plane stress/strain subject to a self-equilibrated end load is considered first for a specially orthotropic material and then for the general anisotropic material. The problem is governed by a fourth-order elliptic partial differential equation with constant coefficients. In the former case, just a single dimensionless material parameter appears, while in the latter, only three dimensionless parameters are required. Energy methods are used to establish lower bounds on the actual stress decay rate. Both analytic and numerical estimates are obtained in terms of the elastic constants of the material and results are shown for several contemporary engineering materials. When compared with the exact stress decay rate computed numerically from the eigenvalues of a fourth-order ordinary differential equation, the results in some cases show a high degree of accuracy. In particular, for strongly orthotropic materials, an asymptotic estimate provides extremely accurate estimates for the decay rate. Results of the type obtained here have several important practical applications. For example, they provide physical insight into the mechanical testing of anisotropic and laminated composite structures (including the off-axis tension test), are useful in assessing the influence of fasteners, joints, etc. on the behavior of composite structures and allow for tailoring a material with specific properties to ensure that local stresses attenuate at a desired rate.     

Constitutive function,residual stress,and state of uniform stress in arteries

Fung (1983) has conjectured that the residual stress in an artery distributes itself in such a way to assure that the circumferential stress is uniform across the artery wall under physiological conditions. In this work, we identify the entire class of constitutive functions for which the circumferential stress is uniform across the artery wall when it is subjected to an internal pressure. It is found that these constitutive functions do not necessarily endow residual stresses. Furthermore, a subset of the class of the constitutive functions is identified for which the circumferential stresses are uniform for the entire range of internal pressures. The constitutive functions in this sub-class are found to have zero residual stress. It is the inhomogeneity, rather than residual stress, that assures uniform circumferential stresses. We also examine the possibility of utilizing these constitutive functions in the design and fabrication of an engineered blood vessel with optimal mechanical properties.     

The effect of rotation and initial stress on the propagation of waves in a transversely isotropic elastic solid

In this paper the equations governing small amplitude motions in a rotating transversely isotropic initially stressed elastic solid are derived, both for compressible and incompressible linearly elastic materials. The equations are first applied to study the effects of initial stress and rotation on the speed of homogeneous plane waves propagating in a configuration with uniform initial stress. The general forms of the constitutive law, stresses and the elasticity tensor are derived within the finite deformation context and then summarized for the considered transversely isotropic material with initial stress in terms of invariants, following which they are specialized for linear elastic response and, for an incompressible material, to the case of plane strain, which involves considerable simplification. The equations for two-dimensional motions in the considered plane are then applied to the study of Rayleigh waves in a rotating half-space with the initial stress parallel to its boundary and the preferred direction of transverse isotropy either parallel to or normal to the boundary within the sagittal plane. The secular equation governing the wave speed is then derived for a general strain–energy function in the plane strain specialization, which involves only two material parameters. The results are illustrated graphically, first by showing how the wave speed depends on the material parameters and the rotation without specifying the constitutive law and, second, for a simple material model to highlight the effects of the rotation and initial stress on the surface wave speed.     

动脉壁静态非线性力学性质的实验和理论研究

在动脉血管壁力学实验及已有的拟弹性理论研究基础上,提出了一个理论模型来分析具有残余应力动脉壁的非线性力学性质． 在动脉壁被模拟为均质、正交各向异性、不可压缩和具有初应力材料的前提下,建立了一个表达有残余应力动脉壁静态三维非线性拟弹性性质的ｅ指数型本构方程． 动脉壁本构方程中的十个拟弹性参数是用我们的动脉实验数据及所发展的多曲线联合逼近算法数据拟合来确定．     

Photoviscoelastic stress analysis of a plate with a central hole

An epoxy resin containing excessive plasticizer was developed and characterized. The material, which deforms viscously at room temperature, has optical properties that depend on stress and strain. A tensile specimen was prepared from the epoxy resin so that the mechanical and optical properties of the epoxy resin could be characterized. The elastic and plastic behavior was determined at 37°C using tensile stresses between 4 and 26 MPa. The birefringence was also recorded as a function of time and stress. From these results, a photoviscoelastic constitutive equation was constructed to describe the dependence of the birefringence on stress and strain. The constitutive equation was then applied to study the deformation of a tensile specimen containing a central circular hole. By using the isochromatic fringes in combination with the isoclinic, the time-dependent variation of the stress field in the specimen was solved.     

Constitutive Functions of Elastic Materials in Finite Growth and Deformation

The constitutive functions of soft biological tissues during growth are studied. A growth, treated as addition (often non-uniform) of material points, results in deformation, residual stresses, and evolution of the constitutive functions. A theory based on the concept of equivalent material points is developed with the current configuration taken as the reference. The residual stresses developed in a spherical shell undergoing spherical growths are studied.     

The strain-rate behavior of ductile polymers

The stress-strain-strain-rate behavior of polycarbonate is presented. It is demonstrated that the material does not exhibit a double-yield-point phenomenon, as others have reported, if true stress is plotted against actual strain. Also, the behavior of polycarbonate is presented under constant strain rate and relaxation conditions. The observed behavior of the material is discussed in relation to elements of recent theories of viscoelasto-plasticity due to Nagdi and Murch and Crochet. Simple mechanical models of the Bingham type are presented and are discussed with respect to the constitutive equation characterization of polycarbonte. The advantages and disadvantages of more general models are mentioned. Finally, the strain-rate behavior of PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) and a poylester given by others is presented and discussed, relative to polycarbonate and the characterization procedures used.     

An electromagnetic shear-stress gage for large-amplitude shear waves

In many materials, especially plastics, ceramics and rocks, large-amplitude shear-wave propagation studies could provide valuable information for the development of constitutive equations. A newly developed electromagnetic-gage configuration provides an output voltage which is directly related to the dynamic shear stress in the material. The electromagnetic shear-stress gage has been used to make direct measurements of shear-wave stresses in PMMA and Solenhofen limestone. Large-amplitude shear waves were obtained with a new plate-impact technique which generates shear waves by a controlled-reflection process. The configuration of the stress gage permits it to be used simultaneously with more conventional electromagnetic velocity gages, thus providing both types of data in one experiment.     

STUDY ON NONLINEAR CONSTITUTIVE RELATIONSHIP AND FRACTURE BEHAVIOR OF STITCHED C/SiC COMPOSITES$^{\bf 1)}$

C/SiC复合材料具有高比强度、高比模量和优良的热稳定性能等一系列优点, 广泛应用于航空航天领域中. 裂纹扩展进而引起的脆性断裂是其主要失效形式之一, 因而材料的断裂性能分析对材料的结构设计和应用有重要的指导意义. 本文开展了缝合式C/SiC复合材料简单力学试验和断裂试验, 研究了材料在不同载荷下的力学响应及断裂特征. 基于缝合式C/SiC复合材料简单力学试验, 建立了材料宏观非线性损伤本构方程, 并模拟了缝合式C/SiC复合材料单边切口梁和双悬臂梁的断裂行为. 本构方程采用简单函数描述了材料在复杂应力状态下的非线性应力-应变曲线, 并考虑了反向加载过程中造成的裂纹闭合. 基于商业有限元软件ABAQUS, 通过编写UMAT子程序实现非线性损伤本构方程, 采用单个单元验证了建立的本构方程的有效性. 在此基础上, 采用线弹性损伤本构和非线性损伤本构分别模拟了缝合式C/SiC复合材料单边切口梁和双悬臂梁的断裂行为. 采用非线性损伤本构方程模拟的力-位移曲线结果与试验结果更为吻合, 非线性损伤本构预测的失效载荷与试验失效载荷更为接近, 验证了所建立的非线性损伤本构方程的准确性, 为C/SiC复合材料断裂行为的研究提供了借鉴, 为缝合式C/SiC复合材料结构的设计和应用提供了理论基础.