A theory of plasticity for carbon nanotube reinforced composites

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) possess exceptional mechanical properties, and when introduced into a metal matrix, it could significantly improve the elastic stiffness and plastic strength of the nanocomposite. But current processing techniques often lead to an agglomerated state for the CNTs, and the pristine CNT surface may not be able to fully transfer the load at the interface. These two conditions could have a significant impact on its strengthening capability. In this article we develop a two-scale micromechanical model to analyze the effect of CNT agglomeration and interface condition on the plastic strength of CNT/metal composites. The large scale involves the CNT-free matrix and the clustered CNT/matrix inclusions, and the small scale addresses the property of these clustered inclusions, each containing the randomly oriented, transversely isotropic CNTs and the matrix. In this development the concept of secant moduli and a field fluctuation technique have been adopted. The outcome is an explicit set of formulae that allows one to calculate the overall stress-strain relations of the CNT nanocomposite. It is shown that CNTs are indeed a very effective strengthening agent, but CNT agglomeration and imperfect interface condition can seriously reduce the effective stiffness and elastoplastic strength. The developed theory has also been applied to examine the size (diameter) effect of CNTs on the elastic and elastoplastic response of the composites, and it was found that, with a perfect interface contact, decreasing the CNT radius would enhance the overall stiffness and plastic strength, but with an imperfect interface the size effect is reversed. A comparison of the theory with some experiments on the CNT/Cu nanocomposite serves to verify the applicability of the theory, and it also points to the urgent need of eliminating all CNT agglomeration and improving the interface condition if the full potential of CNT reinforcement is to be realized.     

非理想界面对三相复合材料应力场的影响

对非理想界面的三相复合材料,提出了计算弹性应力场的微观力学模型,在适当的简化假设下,对带界相的颗粒增强和纤维增强复合材料,得到了应力场的计算公式。以剪切载荷为例给出了数值例子。给出的数值结果表明非理想界面对三相复合材料应力场的影响。     

A cohesive law for carbon nanotube/polymer interfaces based on the van der Waals force

We have established the cohesive law for interfaces between a carbon nanotube (CNT) and polymer that are not well bonded and are characterized by the van der Waals force. The tensile cohesive strength and cohesive energy are given in terms of the area density of carbon nanotube and volume density of polymer, as well as the parameters in the van der Waals force. For a CNT in an infinite polymer, the shear cohesive stress vanishes, and the tensile cohesive stress depends only on the opening displacement. For a CNT in a finite polymer matrix, the tensile cohesive stress remains the same, but the shear cohesive stress depends on both opening and sliding displacements, i.e., the tension/shear coupling. The simple, analytical expressions of the cohesive law are useful to study the interaction between CNT and polymer, such as in CNT-reinforced composites. The effect of polymer surface roughness on the cohesive law is also studied.     

Atomistic-based continuum representation of the effective properties of nano-reinforced epoxies

In this paper, an atomistic-based representative volume element (RVE) is developed to characterize the behavior of carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced amorphous epoxies. The RVE consists of the carbon nanotube, the surrounding epoxy matrix, and the CNT/epoxy interface. An atomistic-based continuum representation is adopted throughout all the components of the RVE. By equating the associated strain energies under identical loading conditions, we were able to homogenize the RVE into a representative fiber. The homogenized RVE was then employed in a micromechanical analysis to predict the effective properties of the newly developed CNT-reinforced amorphous epoxy. Numerical examples show that the effect of volume fraction, orientation, and aspect ratio of the continuous fibres on the properties of the CNT-reinforced epoxy adhesives can be significant. These results have a direct bearing on the design and development of nano-tailored adhesives for use in structural adhesive bonds.     

Effect of interface stresses on the image force and stability of an edge dislocation inside a nanoscale cylindrical inclusion

Dislocation mobility and stability in inclusions can affect the mechanical behaviors of the composites. In this paper, the problem of an edge dislocation located within a nanoscale cylindrical inclusion incorporating interface stress is first considered. The explicit expression for the image force acting on the edge dislocation is obtained by means of a complex variable method. The influence of the interface effects and the size of the inclusion on the image force is evaluated. The results indicate that the impact of interface stress on the image force and the equilibrium positions of the edge dislocation inside the inclusion becomes remarkable when the radius of the inclusion is reduced to nanometer scale. The force acting on the edge dislocation produced by the interface stress will increase with the decrease of the radius of the inclusion and depends on the inclusion size which differs from the classical solution. The stability of the dislocation inside a nanoscale inclusion is also analyzed. The condition of the dislocation stability and the critical radius of the inclusion are revised for considering interface stresses.     

金属基纳米复合材料等效弹性模量的均匀化方法数值模拟

均匀化理论利用位移场双尺度渐近展开建立有限元列式，本文将其与有限元通用程序相结合，应用于金属基复合材料的弹性本构数值模拟。通过对不同尺度增强相金属基复合材料等效模量的数值模拟，考察了均匀化方法的适用情况。数值计算结果表明，对常规尺度增强相金属基复合材料，均匀化方法可以较准确地预测其等效弹性模量；对纳米增强相金属基复合材料，该方法仍可给出较好的预测，但存在某种程度的系统偏差。通过对纳米尺度增强机理的分析讨论，认为纳米增强相与基体材料问的界面效应可能有别于连续介质假设，指出可以考虑采用离散原子-连续介质耦合模型改进数值模拟结果。     

界面特性对短纤维金属基复合材料蠕变行为的影响

基于短纤维增强金属基复合材料(MMC)的单纤维三维模型(三相)，利用粘弹性有限元分析方法对影响金属基复合材料的蠕变行为的因素进行了较为系统的分析。研究中主要讨论了界面特性和纤维取向角对金属基复合材料的蠕变性能的影响。研究结果发现，界面特性诸如厚度、模量和应力指数都对纤维最大轴应力和稳定蠕变率产生影响：稳态蠕变率随界面模量的增大而逐渐减小，当高于基体模量时基本保持不变；纤维轴应力的变化与蠕变率正好相反。稳态蠕变率随界面厚度、应力指数的增加而增大；而轴应力则随之减小。同时不同的纤维取向也影响金属基复合材料蠕变时的轴应力分布和稳态蠕变率。     

A circular inclusion with a nonuniform interphase layer in anti-plane shear

An analytical solution is derived for the problem of a nonuniformly coated circular inclusion in an unbounded matrix under anti-plane deformations. The inclusion/interphase/matrix system is subject to (1) remote uniform shear and uniform eigenstrain imposed on the circular inclusion, and (2) a screw dislocation or a point force in the matrix. It is found that the varying interphase thickness will exert a significant influence on the nonuniform stress field within the circular inclusion, and on the direction and magnitude of the image force acting on a screw dislocation. In the course of development, it is found that the presence of certain coated inclusions, which are termed stealth, will not cause change of elastic energy in the body. The derived analytical solution for a screw dislocation is then employed as Green’s function to investigate a radial matrix crack interacting with the nonuniformly coated inclusion. The numerical results show that the varying interphase thickness will also affect the stress intensity factors.     

Effective mechanical properties of unidirectional composites in the presence of imperfect interface

In this paper, the equivalent inclusion method is implemented to estimate the effective mechanical properties of unidirectional composites in the presence of an imperfect interface. For this purpose, a representative volume element containing three constituents, a matrix, and interface layer, and a fiber component, is considered. A periodic eigenstrain defined in terms of Fourier series is then employed to homogenize non-dilute multi-phase composites. In order to take into account the interphase imperfection effects on mechanical properties of composites, a stiffness parameter in terms of a matrix and interphase elastic modulus is introduced. Consistency conditions are also modified accordingly in such a way that only the part of the fiber lateral stiffness is to be effective in estimating the equivalent composite mechanical properties. Employing the modified consistency equations together with the energy equivalence relation leads to a set of linear equations that are consequently used to estimate the average values of eigenstrain in non-homogeneous phases. It is shown that for composites with both soft and hard reinforcements, largest stiffness parameter that indicates complete fiber–matrix interfacial debonding causes the same equivalent lateral properties.     

Thin interphase/imperfect interface in elasticity with application to coated fiber composites

The imperfect interface conditions which are equivalent to the effect of a thin elastic interphase are derived by a Taylor expansion method in terms of interface displacement and traction jumps. Plane and cylindrical interfaces are analyzed as special cases. The effective elastic moduli of a unidirectional coated fiber composite are obtained on the basis of the derived imperfect interface conditions. High accuracy of the method is demonstrated by comparison of solutions of several problems in terms of the imperfect interface conditions or explicit presence of interphase as a third phase. The problems considered are transverse shear of a coated infinite fiber in infinite matrix and effective transverse bulk and shear moduli and effective axial shear modulus of a coated fiber composite. Unlike previous elastic imperfect interface conditions in the literature, the present ones are valid for the entire range of interphase stiffness, from very small to very large.     

含非完整界面涂层夹杂中螺型位错的弹性分析

研究了含非完整界面圆形涂层夹杂内部一个螺型位错在夹杂、涂层与无限大基体材料中产生的弹性场.运用复变函数函数方法,获得了三个区域复势函数的解析解答.利用求得的应力场和Peach-Koehler公式,得到了作用在螺型位错上位错力的精确表达式.主要讨论了两个非完整界面对位错力的影响规律.结果表明,涂层界面对夹杂内部螺型位错的吸引力随着界面粘结强度的弱化而变大.界面非完整程度增加削弱材料弹性失配对位错力的影响.在一定条件下,非完整界面可以改变夹杂内位错与涂层/基体系统之间的引斥干涉规律,并使位错在夹杂内部产生一个稳定或非稳定的平衡点.     

Two-fold enhancement in tensile strength of carbon nanotube–carbon fiber hybrid epoxy composites through combination of electrophoretic deposition and alternating electric field

A new carbon nanotube (CNT)–hybridized carbon fiber (CF) was introduced in an attempt to improve interfacial strength between CF and polymeric matrix. Amine-functionalized CNTs was radially deposited on the CF surface through a combination of alternating electric field with electrophoretic deposition process. Radial deposition of CNTs on CF formed a unique porous structure around CF that could significantly increase the interfacial adhesion through interlocking of polymeric matrix. Tensile properties and fatigue life of the reinforced composites were investigated in order to study the effect of interfacial adhesion on mechanical properties of reinforced composites. Results indicate that the radial deposition of CNT on CF can remarkably enhance the compatibility of polymeric matrix with CF. This improvement in compatibility of polymeric matrix with CNT–hybridized CF resulted in considerable enhancement in mechanical properties of composites. The interfacial reinforcing mechanism was explored through fractography of reinforced composites and possible failure modes have been precisely discussed.     

The interaction between a screw dislocation and a rigid wedge inhomogeneity with an elastic circular inhomogeneity at the tip

The interaction between a screw dislocation and an elastic semi-cylindrical inhomogeneity abutting on a rigid half-plane is investigated. Utilizing the image dislocations method, the closed form solutions of the stress fields in the matrix and the inhomogeneity region are derived. The image force acting on the dislocation is also calculated. The results were used to study the interaction between a screw dislocation and a rigid wedge inhomogeneity with an elastic circular inhomogeneity at the tip by means of conformal mapping. The results show that an unstable equilibrium point of the dislocation near the semi-cylindrical inhomogeneity is found when the inhomogeneity is softer than the matrix. Moreover, the force on the dislocation is strongly affected by the position of the dislocation and the shear modulus of the semi-circular inhomogeneity. Positive screw dislocations can reduce the SIF of the rigid wedge inhomogeneity (shielding effect) only when it located in the lower half-plane. The shielding effect increases with the increase of the shear modulu of both the matrix and the inhomogeneity and increases with the increase of the wedge angle. The shielding effect (or anti-shielding effect) reaches the maximum when the dislocation tends to the wedge inhomogeneity interface.     

Dislocation stability in three-phase nanocomposites with imperfect interface

Interface imperfection can significantly affect the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms as well as the strength and toughness of nanocomposites. The elastic behavior of a screw dislocation in nanoscale coating with imperfect interface is studied in the three-phase composite cylinder model. The interface between inner nanoin- homogeneity and intermediate coating is assumed as perfectly bonded. The bonding between intermediate coating and outer matrix is considered to be imperfect with the assumption that interface imperfection is uniform, and a linear spring model is adopted to describe the weakness of imperfect interface. The explicit expression for image force acting on dislocation is obtained by means of a complex variable method. The analytic results indicate that inner interface effect and outer interface imperfection, simultaneously taken into account, would influence greatly image force, equilibrium position and stability of dislocation, and various critical parameters that would change dislocation stability. The weaker interface is a very strong trap for glide dislocation and, thus, a more effective barrier for slip transmission.     

Edge dislocation interacting with a nonuniformly coated circular inclusion

This paper investigated the interaction between an edge dislocation and a nonuniformly coated circular inclusion. Based on the technique of conformal mapping and the method of analytical continuation in conjunction with alternating technique, the solutions to plane elasticity problems for three dissimilar media are derived explicitly in a series form. For a limiting case when the thickness of the interphase layer is uniform, the derived analytical solutions of this paper are reduced to exactly the same results available in the literature. The image force acting on the dislocation is then determined by using the Peach–Koehler formula. It is found that the combination of material constants and nonuniformity of the interphase thickness will exert a significant influence on the dislocation force.     

Fiber push-out study of a copper matrix composite with an engineered interface: Experiments and cohesive element simulation

The fiber push-out test is a basic method to probe the mechanical properties of the fiber/matrix interface of fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites. In order to estimate the interfacial properties, parameters should be calibrated using the measured load–displacement data and theoretical models. In the case of a soft matrix composite, the possible plastic yield of the matrix has to be considered for the calibration. Since the conventional shear lag models are based on elastic behavior, a detailed assessment of the plastic effect is needed for accurate calibration. In this paper, experimental and simulation studies are presented regarding the effect of matrix plasticity on the push-out behavior of a copper matrix composite with strong interface bonding. Microscopic images exhibited significant local plastic deformation near the fibers leading to salient nonlinear response in the global load–displacement curve. For comparison, uncoated interface with no chemical bonding was also examined where the nonlinearity was not observed. A progressive FEM simulation was conducted for a complete push-out process using the cohesive zone model and inverse fitting. Excellent coincidence was achieved with the measured push-out curve. The predicted results confirmed the experimental observations.     

Micromechanical characterizing elastic,thermoelastic and viscoelastic properties of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced polymer nanocomposites

In this work, elastic, thermoelastic and viscoelastic properties of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced polymer nanocomposites are investigated using a 3-dimensional micromechanics-based approach. The main advantage of the proposed micromechanical model is its ability to give closed-form formulation for predicting the effective properties of nanocomposites. In the micromechanical modeling, the interphase formed due to non-boned van der Waals interaction between the continuous CNT and polymer matrix is considered through employing an individual representative volume element. The validity of the model is examined by comparing its results with other theoretical approaches and experimental data available in the literature. The effects of various types of CNTs arrangement in the matrix, i.e. uniform distribution and different functionally graded distributions on the elastic, thermoelastic and viscoelastic properties of polymer nanocomposites are investigated in detail. Furthermore, random arrangement of CNTs in the matrix is modelled. The influences of CNT/polymer matrix interphase and CNT volume fraction on the effective properties of nanocomposites are also studied. Finally, the viscoelastic response of nanocomposites under multiaxial loading is extracted and interpreted.     

含界面效应纳米尺度圆环形涂层中螺型位错分析

研究了纳米尺度圆环形涂层(界面层)中螺型位错与圆形夹杂以及无限大基体材料的干涉效应.涂层与夹杂的界面和涂层与基体的界面均考虑界面应力效应.运用复势方法,获得了三个区域复势函数的解析解答.利用求得的应力场和Peach-Koehler公式,得到了作用在螺型位错上位错力的精确表达式.主要讨论了界面应力对涂层(界面层)中螺型位错运动和平衡稳定的影响规律.结果表明,界面应力对界面附近位错的运动有大的影响,由于界面应力的存在,可以改变涂层内位错与夹杂/基体干涉的引斥规律,并使位错在涂层内部产生三个稳定或非稳定的平衡点.考虑界面效应后,有一个额外的排斥力或吸引力作用在位错上,使原有的位错力增加或减小.     

Electroelastic interaction between piezoelectric screw dislocation and circularly layered inclusion with imperfect interfaces

The interaction between a piezoelectric screw dislocation and an interphase layer in piezoelectric solids is theoretically investigated.Here,the dislocation located at arbitrary points inside either the matrix or the inclusion and the interfaces of the interphase layer are imperfect.By the complex variable method,the explicit solutions to the complex potentials are given,and the electroelastic fields can be derived from them.The image force acting on the dislocation can be obtained by the generalized PeachKoehler formula.The motion of the piezoelectric screw dislocation and its equilibrium positions are discussed for variable parameters.The important results show that,if the inner interface of the interphase layer is imperfect and the magnitude of degree of the interface imperfection reaches the certain value,two equilibrium positions of the piezoelectric screw dislocation in the matrix near the interface are found for the certain material combination which has never been observed in the previous studies(without considering the interface imperfection).     

Piezoelectric screw dislocations interacting with a circular inclusion with imperfect interface

The electroelastic coupling interaction between multiple screw dislocations and a circular inclusion with an imperfect interface in a piezoelectric solid is investigated. The appointed screw dislocation may be located either outside or inside the inclusion and is subjected to a line charge and a line force at the core. The analytic solutions of electroelastic fields are obtained by means of the complex-variable method. With the aid of the generalized Peach–Koehler formula, the explicit expressions of image forces exerted on the piezoelectric screw dislocations are derived. The motion and the equilibrium position of the appointed screw dislocation near the circular interface are discussed for variable parameters (interface imperfection, material electroelastic mismatch, and dislocation position), and the influence of the nearby parallel screw dislocations is also considered. It is found that the piezoelectric screw dislocation is always attracted by the electromechanical imperfect interface. When the interface imperfection is strong, the impact of material electroelastic mismatch on the image force and the equilibrium position of the dislocation becomes weak. Additionally, the effect of the nearby dislocations on the mobility of the appointed dislocation is very important.