Effect of polyethylene glycol on the crystallization and impact properties of polylactide‐based blends

Polylactide (PLA) was plasticized by polyethylene glycols (PEGs) with five different molecular weights (M_w = 200–20,000 g/mol). The effects of content and molecular weight of PEG on the crystallization and impact properties of PLA were studied by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and V‐notched impact tests, respectively. The results revealed that PEG‐10,000 could significantly improve the crystallization capacity and impact toughness of PLA. When the PEG‐10,000 content ranged from 0 to 20 wt%, the increases in both V‐notched Izod and Charpy impact strengths of PLA/PEG‐10,000 blends were 206.10% and 137.25%, respectively. Meanwhile, the crystallinity of PLA/PEG‐10,000 blends increased from 3.95% to 43.42%. For 10 wt% PEG content, the crystallization and impact properties of PLA/PEG blends mainly depended upon PEG molecular weight. With increasing the M_w of PEG, the crystallinity and impact strength of PLA/PEG blends first decreased and then increased. The introduction of PEG reduced the intermolecular force and enhanced the mobility of PLA chains, thus improving the crystallization capacity and flexibility of PLA. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A numerical approach to spherical indentation techniques for material property evaluation

In this work, some inaccuracies and limitations of prior indentation theories, which are based on experimental observations and the deformation theory of plasticity, are investigated. Effects of major material properties on the indentation load-deflection curve are examined via finite element (FE) analyses based on incremental plasticity theory. It is confirmed that subindenter deformation and stress-strain distribution from deformation plasticity theory are quite dissimilar to those obtained from incremental plasticity theory. We suggest an optimal data acquisition location, where the strain gradient is the least and the effect of friction is negligible. A new numerical approach to indentation techniques is then proposed by examining the FE solutions at the optimal point. Numerical regressions of obtained data exhibit that the strain-hardening exponent and yield strain are the two key parameters which govern the subindenter deformation characteristics. The new indentation theory successfully provides a stress-strain curve and material properties with an average error of less than 3%.     

软粘土卸载特性计算模型研究

本文从三个方面对软粘土的卸载特性进行了理论研究。采用太沙基一维固结理论，编制了内嵌固结计算的修正剑桥模型程序．对软粘土卸载强度进行了分析。推导了基于修正剑桥模型的孔压表达式并编制了相应的程序对软粘土的卸载孔压特性进行了研究，结果显示，在伸长条件下．孔压先由零逐渐发展到负的最大值．然后又逐渐减小至零。突破零位后，发展成为正孔压并最后达到正的最大值。围压越大，产生的负孔压的极值越大，最终的正孔压越小。将传统边界面模型的线弹性卸载过程改进为弹塑性．建立了软粘土的边界面广义弹塑性模型，从而使边界面模型可用于分析软粘土卸载过程中的塑性变形问题。理论分析结果与试验进行了比较验证，证明理论研究方法是可行的。     

Soil strength as affected by tillage system and wheel traffic in wheat -corn rotation in central Anatolia

This paper discusses the loading of a typical central Anatolian soil by the most commonly used corn and wheat production agricultural equipment. It further describes the effect that loading and soil conditions have on soil strength, namely compaction, and proposes techniques for minimizing undesired soil compaction. Experiments were carried out on a typical central Anatolian medium-textured imperfectly drained clay loam soil (Cambisol). Three different tillage methods and subsequently the same field operations were used for each rotation. Shear strength, penetration resistance, bulk density and moisture variations were detected in four sampling periods at each rotation. Tillage reduced the soil strength with the mouldboard plough causing the greatest loosening. However, natural processes and the vehicular traffic caused the soil to be re-compacted to about the same values as before. In any of the cases the obtained parameters did not exceed the critical values for plant growth except the penetration resistance in the 20–30 cm depth layer during corn production.     

Prediction of Quasi-Brittle Fracture of Concrete and Rock Structures Using Laboratory-Sized Specimens

A simple method is developed for predicting the fracture behaviour of struetures made of quasi-brittle materials sueh as eonerete and roek using the data from laboratory-sized speeimens. The method is based on the reeently-developed boundary effeet concept and associated asymptotic model. It is demonstrated that the ＂apparent＂ size dependence of fraeture behaviour of concrete and rock is in fact due to the influence of specimen boundaries. Various size effect phenomena that are often observed in fracture meehanies tests of eoncrete and roek are related to each other, and the asymptotie boundary effect model can explain all the observed ＂size＂ effeet phenomena. Four types of experimental results available in the literature （ineluding the data measured on （1） the speeimens of identical size with different crack-to-size （α） ratios, （2） specimens of different sizes with different a-ratios, （3） different types of specimens and （4） geometrieally similar speeimens） are used to verify the asymptotic boundary effect model, and it is found that the predictions of the model agree very well with the experimental results. Furthermore, the important fracture properties, fracture toughness KIC and strength f, of quasi-brittle materials sueh as eonerete and roek can also be calculated using the formulae provided in the model.     

Surface versus bulk nucleation of dislocations during contact

The indentation of single crystals by a periodic array of flat rigid contacts is analyzed using discrete dislocation plasticity. Plane strain analyses are carried out with the dislocations all of edge character and modeled as line singularities in a linear elastic solid. The limiting cases of frictionless and perfectly sticking contacts are considered. The effects of contact size, dislocation source density, and dislocation obstacle density and strength on the evolution of the mean indentation pressure are explored, but the main focus is on contrasting the response of crystals having dislocation sources on the surface with that of crystals having dislocation sources in the bulk. When there are only bulk sources, the mean contact pressure for sufficiently large contacts is independent of the friction condition, whereas for sufficiently small contact sizes, there is a significant dependence on the friction condition. When there are only surface dislocation sources the mean contact pressure increases much more rapidly with indentation depth than when bulk sources are present and the mean contact pressure is very sensitive to the strength of the obstacles to dislocation glide. Also, on unloading a layer of tensile residual stress develops when surface dislocation sources dominate.     

平面坡体渐进破坏模型及其应用

平面坡体渐进破坏模型旨在通过在坡体稳定性分析中引进渐进坡坏的概念,来较合理地考虑岩土材料的峰值强度和残余强度在稳定性分析中的不同作用。通过与其它稳定性分析方法进行比较以及实例应用研究,证明该计算模型可用于初步判断坡体稳定状态并估算其破坏变形范围。这一研究也说明了水对边坡破坏的重要作用。     

A PREDICTIVE APPROACH TO THE IN-PLANE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF STITCHED COMPOSITE LAMINATES

This contribution attempts to model the alteration of the in-plane elastic properties in laminates caused by stitching,and to predict the in-plane effective tensile strength of the stitched composite laminates.The distortion of in-plane fibers is considered to be the main cause that affects the in-plane mechanical properties.A fiber distortion model is proposed to characterize the fiber misalignment and the fiber content concentration due to stitching.The undistorted region,the fiber distortion region,the resin-rich pocket and the through-thickness reinforcement section are taken into account.The fiber misalignment and inhomogeneous fiber content due to stitching have been formulated by introducing two parameters,the distortion width and maximum misalignment.It has been found that the ply stress concentration in stitched laminates is influenced by the two concurrent factors,the stitch hole and inhomogeneous fiber content.The stitch hole brings about the stress concentration whereas the higher fiber content at the local region induced by stitching restrains the local deformation of the composite.The model is used to predict the tensile strength of the [0/45/0/-45/90/45/0/-45]_(2s) T300/QY9512 composite laminate stitched by Kevlar 29 yarn with different stitching configurations,showing an acceptable agreement with experimental data.     

Modeling the effect of diffusion of the ambient medium on the long-term strength of a hollow cylinder under uniaxial tension

The problem of the long-term strength of an extended thick-walled tube containing a corrosive medium in the internal cavity is solved. The diffusion of this medium into the tube material is analyzed. The diffusion equation is solved approximately by introducing the diffusion front, and the error of the solution is estimated. The dependence of the time of fracture of the tube on the variable tensile stress and the concentration of the medium filling the cavity is obtained. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 88–93, July–August, 2007.     

Long-term strength of metals and creep equations based on the Coulomb-Mohr criterion

It is proposed to construct long-term strength and creep relations for metals on the basis of the Coulomb-Mohr criterion. The creep equations and the long-term strength criterion for plane stress are analyzed in detail. Results of long-term strength calculations are compared with data of experiments with metallic materials. It is established that theoretical and experimental results are in satisfactory agreement. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 48, No. 6, pp. 115–123, November–December, 2007.