Kink Surfaces in a Directionally Reinforced neo-Hookean Material under Plane Deformation: I. Mechanical Equilibrium

Stationary kinks (elastostatic shocks) are examined in the context of a base neo-Hookean response augmented with unidirectional reinforcing that is characterized by a single additional constitutive parameter for the additional fiber reinforcing stiffness. Previous work has shown that such a transversely isotropic material can lose ellipticity in plane deformation if the reinforcing is sufficiently large and the fiber direction is sufficiently compressed. Here we show that the same reinforcing levels can give rise to piecewise smooth plane deformations separated by a plane stationary kink. Attention is restricted to deformations in which, on one side of the kink, the load axis is aligned with the fiber axis. Then the fiber stretch on this side of the kink is a natural load parameter. It is found that such a deformation can support a planar kink for a certain range of this load parameter. This range is dependent on the reinforcing parameter, and can even involve fiber extension if the reinforcing is sufficiently large. The set of all deformation states on the other side of the kink is precisely characterized in terms of a one-parameter family of (kink orientation, kink strength)-pairs. The results are interpreted in terms of the associated fiber alignment discontinuity and fiber stretch discontinuity.     

Instabilities and loss of ellipticity in fiber-reinforced compressible non-linearly elastic solids under plane deformation

In a recent paper we examined the loss of ellipticity and its interpretation in terms of fiber kinking and other instability phenomena in respect of a fiber-reinforced incompressible elastic material. Here we provide a corresponding analysis for fiber-reinforced compressible elastic materials. The analysis concerns a material model which consists of an isotropic base material augmented by a reinforcement dependent on the fiber direction. The assessment of loss of ellipticity can be cast in terms of the eigenvalues of the acoustic tensors associated with the isotropic and anisotropic parts of the strain-energy function. For the anisotropic part, two different reinforcing models are examined and it is shown that, depending on the choice of model and whether the fiber is under compression or extension, loss of ellipticity may be associated with, in particular, a weak surface of discontinuity normal to or parallel to the deformed fiber direction or at an intermediate angle. Under compression the associated failure interpretations include fiber kinking and fiber splitting, while under extension fiber de-bonding and matrix failure are included.     

Loss of Ellipticity in Plane Deformation of a Simple Directionally Reinforced Incompressible Nonlinearly Elastic Solid

Change of type in the governing equations of equilibrium is examined in the context of a base neo-Hookean response augmented with unidirectional reinforcing that is characterized by a single additional constitutive parameter for strength of reinforcement. Plane deformations interpreted in terms of both local and global plane strain are considered. Loss of ordinary ellipticity is found to occur for sufficiently large strength of reinforcement under sufficiently severe deformation which necessarily involves contraction in the reinforcing direction. Loss of ellipticity in local plane strain is easily characterized, and its incipient breakdown is associated with the possible emergence of surfaces of weak discontinuity with orientation normals in the reinforcing direction. Loss of ellipticity in global plane strain is given a two-dimensional manifold characterization in a space involving 2 deformation parameters and the strength of reinforcing parameter. Orientation normals for the associated surfaces of weak discontinuity at incipient breakdown do not in general conform to the reinforcing direction. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Homogenization estimates for fiber-reinforced elastomers with periodic microstructures

This work presents a homogenization-based constitutive model for the mechanical behavior of elastomers reinforced with aligned cylindrical fibers subjected to finite deformations. The proposed model is derived by making use of the second-order homogenization method [Lopez-Pamies, O., Ponte Castañeda, P., 2006a. On the overall behavior, microstructure evolution, and macroscopic stability in reinforced rubbers at large deformations: I—theory. J. Mech. Phys. Solids 54, 807–830], which is based on suitably designed variational principles utilizing the idea of a “linear comparison composite.” Specific results are generated for the case when the matrix and fiber materials are characterized by generalized Neo-Hookean solids, and the distribution of fibers is periodic. In particular, model predictions are provided and analyzed for fiber-reinforced elastomers with Gent phases and square and hexagonal fiber distributions, subjected to a wide variety of three-dimensional loading conditions. It is found that for compressive loadings in the fiber direction, the derived constitutive model may lose strong ellipticity, indicating the possible development of macroscopic instabilities that may lead to kink band formation. The onset of shear band-type instabilities is also detected for certain in-plane modes of deformation. Furthermore, the subtle influence of the distribution, volume fraction, and stiffness of the fibers on the effective behavior and onset of macroscopic instabilities in these materials is investigated thoroughly.     

The stress concentration near a rigid line inclusion in a prestressed, elastic material. Part II.: Implications on shear band nucleation, growth and energy release rate

The full-field and asymptotic solutions derived in Part I of this article (for a lamellar rigid inclusion, embedded in a uniformly prestressed, incompressible and orthotropic elastic sheet, subject to a far-field deformation increment) are employed to analyse shear band formation, as promoted by the near-tip stress singularity. Since these solutions involve the prestress as a parameter, stress and deformation fields can be investigated near the boundary of ellipticity loss (but still within the elliptic range). In the vicinity of this boundary, the incremental stress and displacement fields evidence localized deformations with patterns organized into shear bands, evidencing inclinations corresponding to those predicted at ellipticity loss. These localized deformation patterns are shown to explain experimental results on highly deformed soft materials containing thin, stiff inclusions. Finally, the incremental energy release rate and incremental J-integral are derived, related to a reduction (or growth) of the stiffener. It is shown that this is always positive (or negative), but tends to zero approaching the Ellipticity boundary, which implies that reduction of the lamellar inclusion dies out and, simultaneously, shear bands develop.     

Microscopic and macroscopic instabilities in finitely strained fiber-reinforced elastomers

The present work is a detailed study of the connections between microstructural instabilities and their macroscopic manifestations — as captured through the effective properties — in finitely strained fiber-reinforced elastomers, subjected to finite, plane-strain deformations normal to the fiber direction. The work, which is a complement to a previous and analogous investigation by the same authors on porous elastomers, (Michel et al., 2007), uses the linear comparison, second-order homogenization (S.O.H.) technique, initially developed for random media, to study the onset of failure in periodic fiber-reinforced elastomers and to compare the results to more accurate finite element method (F.E.M.) calculations. The influence of different fiber distributions (random and periodic), initial fiber volume fraction, matrix constitutive law and fiber cross-section on the microscopic buckling (for periodic microgeometries) and macroscopic loss of ellipticity (for all microgeometries) is investigated in detail. In addition, constraints to the principal solution due to fiber/matrix interface decohesion, matrix cavitation and fiber contact are also addressed. It is found that both microscopic and macroscopic instabilities can occur for periodic microstructures, due to a symmetry breaking in the periodic arrangement of the fibers. On the other hand, no instabilities are found for the case of random microstructures with circular section fibers, while only macroscopic instabilities are found for the case of elliptical section fibers, due to a symmetry breaking in their orientation.     

Kink Surfaces in a Directionally Reinforced neo-Hookean Material under Plane Deformation: II. Kink Band Stability and Maximally Dissipative Band Broadening

Stationary kinks (elastostatic shocks) are examined in the context of a base neo-Hookean response augmented with unidirectional reinforcing that is characterized by a single additional constitutive parameter for the additional fiber reinforcing stiffness. Previous work has shown that such a transversely isotropic material can support stationary kinks in plane deformation if the reinforcing is sufficiently great. If the deformation on one side of the kink involves a load axis aligned with the fiber axis, then the more general plane deformation on the other side of the kink is characterized in terms of a one-parameter family of (kink orientation, kink strength)-pairs. Here, the ellipticity status of the two correlated deformation states is shown to span all four possible ellipticity/nonellipticity permutations. If both deformation states are elliptic, then a suitable intermediate deformation is shown to be nonelliptic. Maximally dissipative quasi-static kink motion is examined and interpreted in terms of kink band broadening in on-axis loading. Such maximally dissipative kinks nucleate only in compression as weak kinks, with subsequent motion converting nonelliptic deformation to elliptic deformation. The associated fiber rotation involves three periods: an initial period of slow rotation, a secondary period of rapid rotation, and a final period of essentially constant orienation.     

On loss of ellipticity in second-gradient hyper-elasticity of fibre-reinforced materials

This paper establishes a three-dimensional hyper-elasticity framework for studying the manner in which fibre bending stiffness affects current knowledge regarding the presence of weak discontinuity surfaces in unconstrained fibre-reinforced solid materials. This is achieved by considering and studying the loss of ellipticity of a new set of incremental partial differential equations, which emerges from the second-gradient, hyper-elasticity theory developed in [11] and yields its conventional theory counterpart as a particular case. It is accordingly seen that, besides the conventional acoustic tensor met in relevant symmetric hyper-elasticity studies, where fibres are assumed perfectly flexible, some new, higher-order acoustic tensor is involved and becomes dominant in the present situation. Nevertheless, the manner becomes also clear in which the present analysis reduces to and, hence, connects with loss of ellipticity concepts met in conventional hyper-elasticity. No particular form is assigned to the strain energy density of the material, which is kept general throughout this paper. Considerable elucidation of the outlined new issues and concepts is however achieved by focusing attention on plane deformations of hyper-elastic solids reinforced by a single family of straight fibres. This development concludes with a specific application which relates the present analysis with kink band formation in unidirectional fibrous composites containing fibres resistant in bending.     

Fully non-linear wave models in fiber-reinforced anisotropic incompressible hyperelastic solids

Many composite materials, including biological tissues, are modeled as non-linear elastic materials reinforced with elastic fibers. In the current paper, the full set of dynamic equations for finite deformations of incompressible hyperelastic solids containing a single fiber family are considered. Finite-amplitude wave propagation ansätze compatible with the incompressibility condition are employed for a generic fiber family orientation. Corresponding non-linear and linear wave equations are derived. It is shown that for a certain class of constitutive relations, the fiber contribution vanishes when the displacement is independent of the fiber direction.Point symmetries of the derived wave models are classified with respect to the material parameters and the angle between the fibers and the wave propagation direction. For planar shear waves in materials with a strong fiber contribution, a special wave propagation direction is found for which the non-linear wave equations admit an additional symmetry group. Examples of exact time-dependent solutions are provided in several physical situations, including the evolution of pre-strained configurations and traveling waves.     

Stress channelling in extreme couple-stress materials Part I: Strong ellipticity,wave propagation,ellipticity, and discontinuity relations

Materials with extreme mechanical anisotropy are designed to work near a material instability threshold where they display stress channeling and strain localization, effects that can be exploited in several technologies. Extreme couple stress solids are introduced and for the first time systematically analyzed in terms of several material instability criteria: positive-definiteness of the strain energy (implying uniqueness of the mixed b.v.p.), strong ellipticity (implying uniqueness of the b.v.p. with prescribed kinematics on the whole boundary), plane wave propagation, ellipticity, and the emergence of discontinuity surfaces. Several new and unexpected features are highlighted: (i) Ellipticity is mainly dictated by the ‘Cosserat part’ of the elasticity; (ii) its failure is shown to be related to the emergence of discontinuity surfaces; and (iii) ellipticity and wave propagation are not interdependent conditions (so that it is possible for waves not to propagate when the material is still in the elliptic range and, in very special cases, for waves to propagate when ellipticity does not hold). The proof that loss of ellipticity induces stress channeling, folding and faulting of an elastic Cosserat continuum (and the related derivation of the infinite-body Green’s function under antiplane strain conditions) is deferred to Part II of this study.     

On the failure of ellipticity of the equations for finite elastostatic plane strain

Summary In this paper we establish necessary and sufficient conditions, in terms of the local principal stretches, for ordinary and strong ellipticity of the equations governing finite plane equilibrium deformations of a compressible hyperelastic solid. The material under consideration is assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic, but its strain-energy density is otherwise unrestricted. We also determine the directions of the characteristic curves appropriate to plane elastostatic deformations that are accompanied by a failure of ellipticity.The results communicated in this paper were obtained in the course of an investigation supported by Contract N00014-75-C-0196 with the Office of Naval Research in Washington, D.C.     

Localization of deformation and loss of macroscopic ellipticity in microstructured solids

Localization of deformation, a precursor to failure in solids, is a crucial and hence widely studied problem in solid mechanics. The continuum modeling approach of this phenomenon studies conditions on the constitutive laws leading to the loss of ellipticity in the governing equations, a property that allows for discontinuous equilibrium solutions. Micro-mechanics models and nonlinear homogenization theories help us understand the origins of this behavior and it is thought that a loss of macroscopic (homogenized) ellipticity results in localized deformation patterns. Although this is the case in many engineering applications, it raises an interesting question: is there always a localized deformation pattern appearing in solids losing macroscopic ellipticity when loaded past their critical state?In the interest of relative simplicity and analytical tractability, the present work answers this question in the restrictive framework of a layered, nonlinear (hyperelastic) solid in plane strain and more specifically under axial compression along the lamination direction. The key to the answer is found in the homogenized post-bifurcated solution of the problem, which for certain materials is supercritical (increasing force and displacement), leading to post-bifurcated equilibrium paths in these composites that show no localization of deformation for macroscopic strain well above the one corresponding to loss of ellipticity.     

Periodic necking instabilities in layered plastic composites

A bifurcation analysis of a solid composed of alternating material layers is carried out. We study the conditions under which periodic incremental deformations (eigenmodes), consistent with an overall homogeneous stretching, can emerge when the solid is subjected to plane strain, uniaxial tension parallel to the layer interfaces. These undulatory eigenmodes are in competition with shear localization, taken here to be signaled by a loss of ellipticity of the governing incremental equations. The influence of various material parameters on this competition is discussed and contact is made with previous work.     

Finite plane and anti-plane elastostatic fields with discontinuous deformation gradients near the tip of a crack

In this paper the fully nonlinear theory of finite deformations of an elastic solid is used to study the elastostatic field near the tip of a crack. The special elastic materials considered are such that the differential equations governing the equilibrium fields may lose ellipticity in the presence of sufficiently severe strains.The first problem considered involves finite anti-plane shear (Mode III) deformations of a cracked incompressible solid. The analysis is based on a direct asymptotic method, in contrast to earlier approaches which have depended on hodograph procedures.The second problem treated is that of plane strain of a compressible solid containing a crack under tensile (Mode I) loading conditions. The materials is characterized by the so-called Blatz-Ko elastic potential. Again, the analysis involves only direct local considerations.for both the Mode III and Mode I problems, the loss of equilibrium ellipticity results in the appearance of curves (elastostatic shocks) issuing from the crack-tip across which displacement gradients and stresses are discontinuous.The results communicated in this paper were obtained in the course of an investigation supported by Contract N00014-75-C-0196 with the Office of Naval Research.     

Finite deformations of fibre-reinforced elastic solids with fibre bending stiffness

In the conventional theory of finite deformations of fibre-reinforced elastic solids it is assumed that the strain-energy is an isotropic invariant function of the deformation and a unit vector A that defines the fibre direction and is convected with the material. This leads to a constitutive equation that involves no natural length. To incorporate fibre bending stiffness into a continuum theory, we make the more general assumption that the strain-energy depends on deformation, fibre direction, and the gradients of the fibre direction in the deformed configuration. The resulting extended theory requires, in general, a non-symmetric stress and the couple-stress. The constitutive equations for stress and couple-stress are formulated in a general way, and specialized to the case in which dependence on the fibre direction gradients is restricted to dependence on their directional derivatives in the fibre direction. This is further specialized to the case of plane strain, and finite pure bending of a thick plate is solved as an example. We also formulate and develop the linearized theory in which the stress and couple-stress are linear functions of the first and second spacial derivatives of the displacement. In this case for the symmetric part of the stress we recover the standard equations of transversely isotropic linear elasticity, with five elastic moduli, and find that, in the most general case, a further seven moduli are required to characterize the couple-stress.     

Stress resultants plasticity with general closest point projection

In this paper, general closest point projection algorithm is derived for the elastoplastic behavior of a cross-section of a beam finite element. For given section deformations, the section forces (stress resultants) and the section tangent stiffness matrix are obtained as the response for the cross-section. Backward Euler time integration rule is used for the solution of the nonlinear evolution equations. The solution yields the general closest projection algorithm for stress resultants plasticity model. Algorithmic consistent tangent stiffness matrix for the section is derived. Numerical verification of the algorithms in a mixed formulation beam finite element proves the accuracy and robustness of the approach in simulating nonlinear behavior.     

Onset of macroscopic instabilities in fiber-reinforced elastomers at finite strain

In this paper, we investigate theoretically the possible development of instabilities in fiber-reinforced elastomers (and other soft materials) when they are subjected to finite-strain loading conditions. We focus on the physically relevant class of “macroscopic” instabilities, i.e., instabilities with wavelengths that are much larger than the characteristic size of the underlying microstructure. To this end, we make use of recently developed homogenization estimates, together with a fundamental result of Geymonat, Müller and Triantafyllidis linking the development of these instabilities to the loss of strong ellipticity of the homogenized constitutive relations. For the important class of material systems with very stiff fibers and random microstructures, we derive a closed-form formula for the critical macroscopic deformation at which instabilities may develop under general loading conditions, and we show that this critical deformation is quite sensitive to the loading orientation relative to the fiber direction. The result is also confronted with classical estimates (including those of Rosen) for laminates, which have commonly been used as two-dimensional (2-D) approximations for actual fiber-reinforced composites. We find that while predictions based on laminate models are qualitatively correct for certain loadings, they can be significantly off for other more general 3-D loadings. Finally, we provide a parametric analysis of the effects of the matrix and fiber properties and of the fiber volume fraction on the onset of instabilities for various loading conditions.     

Damage in edge cracking of rolled metal slabs

Materials get damaged under shear deformations. Edge cracking is one of the most serious damage to the metal rolling industry, which is caused by the shear damage process and the evolution of anisotropy. To investigate the physics of the edge cracking process, simulations of a shear deformation for an orthotropic plastic material are performed. To perform the simulation, this paper proposes an elasto-aniso-plastic constitutive model that takes into account the evolution of the orthotropic axes by using a bases rotation formula, which is based upon the slip process in the plastic deformation. It is found through the shear simulation that the void can grow in shear deformations due to the evolution of anisotropy and that stress triaxiality in shear deformations of (induced) anisotropic metals can develop as high as in the uniaxial tension deformation of isotropic materials, which increases void volume. This echoes the same physics found through a crystal plasticity based damage model that porosity evolves due to the grain-to-grain interaction. The evolution of stress components, stress triaxiality and the direction of the orthotropic axes in shear deformations are discussed.     

纤维增强橡胶复合材料界面力学性能有限元分析

基于剪滞理论,引入双线性内聚力模型研究了纤维与基体界面应力传递机理.采用ABAQUS模拟了非理想界面在单纤维拔出过程中的脱粘失效,分析了不同脱粘阶段界面剪应力分布情况,以及界面刚度和纤维长径比对界面应力传递和拔出载荷的影响规律.结果表明,在纤维受载失效过程中,纤维的拔出过程可分为4个阶段,即界面的完全粘结、损伤演化、逐渐脱粘、完全脱粘.界面的刚度和纤维长径比对界面应力传递与最大拔出力均有一定的影响.界面刚度、纤维长径比主要影响纤维的最大拔出载荷以及界面脱粘失效位移.     

Second-Order Estimates for the Macroscopic Response and Loss of Ellipticity in Porous Rubbers at Large Deformations

This work presents the application of a recently proposed second-order homogenization method (Ponte Castañeda, 2002) to generate estimates for effective behavior and loss of ellipticity in hyperelastic porous materials with random microstructures that are subjected to finite deformations. The main concept behind the method is the introduction of an optimally selected linear thermoelastic comparison composite, which can then be used to convert available linear homogenization estimates into new estimates for the nonlinear hyperelastic composite. In this paper, explicit results are provided for the case where the matrix is taken to be isotropic and strongly elliptic. In spite of the strong ellipticity of the matrix phase, the homogenized second-order estimates for the overall behavior are found to lose ellipticity at sufficiently large compressive deformations corresponding to the possible development of shear band-type instabilities (Abeyaratne and Triantafyllidis, 1984). The reasons for this result have been linked to the evolution of the microstructure, which, under appropriate loading conditions, can induce geometric softening leading to overall loss of ellipticity. Furthermore, the second-order homogenization method has the merit that it recovers the exact evolution of the porosity under a finite-deformation history in the limit of incompressible behavior for the matrix. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000) 49S05, 74B20, 74Q15, 74Q05.