Multiresolution modeling of ductile reinforced brittle composites

Tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) is an important ductile reinforced brittle composite used in a range of important applications. The relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-Co is truly multiscale; micromechanical processes interact at different scales, resulting in permanent plastic deformation, damage accumulation and final failure of the composite. The goal of the current paper is to develop a continuum-based model, which captures the progressively finer scales of strain localization observed in WC-Co composites during plastic deformation and failure. This is achieved via a set of multiresolution governing equations; a microstress is introduced at each scale of strain localization, which represents the resistance to inhomogeneous strain localization at that scale. The extra constitutive models associated with these microstresses can be elucidated from the average response of separate computational cell models of a representative microstructure. The final multiresolution continuum model is capable of capturing the important length scales of deformation during the plastic stage of deformation without resorting to modeling microstructural scale features directly. The result is a more realistic continuum model; in particular the fracture toughness prediction is more physical when these length scales are incorporated compared to a conventional continuum approach.     

Experimental studies on the yield behavior of ductile and brittle aluminum foams

Specimen size effects are a major cause of the unreliability of foam models in finite element codes. Here, the modified Arcan apparatus is used to investigate the biaxial yielding of ductile and brittle Al foams. This apparatus subjects a central section of a “butterfly-shaped” specimen to a uniform state of plane stress. The stresses have local maxima at the central section, thus ensuring that yielding occurs there. A yield envelope, which directly relates to the crushing process, can then be determined. Size effects are introduced when using conventional methods such as tri-axial or plate-shear tests. In such tests, averages of stress and strain are measured. These measures do not represent the actual yield event, because foam's internal structure is inhomogeneous and so is the deformation field. Strain localization and failure can occur at any weak layer of cells in the bulk. In this study, we have performed a series of biaxial tests on isotropic Alporas and anisotropic Hydro closed-cell Al foams of approximately equal densities. Alporas failed locally by a ductile phenomenon of progressive crushing of cells. It also possessed uniaxial strength asymmetry. Hydro specimens parallel and perpendicular to ‘foam rise’ were investigated. The Hydro foam developed a local, characteristic brittle crack at loads in the vicinity of the yield point. Phenomenological yield surfaces, which incorporate these features are obtained for the foams, and show dependence on both the deviatoric and hydrostatic stresses. We also provide expressions for the shear and hydrostatic strengths in terms of the uniaxial strengths. Finally, the size-independence of the yield surface is verified using the uniaxial compression of tapered specimens.     

An elastoplastic multi-level damage model for ductile matrix composites considering evolutionary weakened interface

An elastoplastic multi-level damage model considering evolutionary weakened interface is developed in this work to predict the effective elastoplastic behavior and multi-level damage evolution in particle reinforced ductile matrix composites (PRDMCs). The elastoplastic multi-level damage model is micromechanically derived on the basis of the ensemble-volume averaging procedure and the first-order effects of eigenstrains. The Eshelby’s tensor for an ellipsoidal inclusion with slightly weakened interface [Qu, J., 1993a. Eshelby tensor for an elastic inclusion with slightly weakened interfaces. Journal of Applied Mechanics 60 (4), 1048–1050; Qu, J., 1993b. The effect of slightly weakened interfaces on the overall elastic properties of composite materials. Mechanics of Materials, 14, 269–281] is adopted to model particles having mildly or severely weakened interface, and a multi-level damage model [Lee, H.K., Pyo, S.H., in press. Multi-level modeling of effective elastic behavior and progressive weakened interface in particulate composites. Composites Science and Technology] in accordance with the Weibull’s probabilistic function is employed to describe the sequential, progressive weakened interface in the composites. Numerical examples corresponding to uniaxial, biaxial and triaxial tension loadings are solved to illustrate the potential of the proposed micromechanical framework. A series of parametric analysis are carried out to investigate the influence of model parameters on the progression of weakened interface in the composites. Furthermore, the present prediction is compared with available experimental data in the literature to verify the proposed elastoplastic multi-level damage model.     

On the coupling of anisotropic damage and plasticity models for ductile materials

In this contribution various aspects of an anisotropic damage model coupled to plasticity are considered. The model is formulated within the thermodynamic framework and implements a strong coupling between plasticity and damage. The constitutive equations for the damaged material are written according to the principle of strain energy equivalence between the virgin material and the damaged material. The damaged material is modeled using the constitutive laws of the effective undamaged material in which the nominal stresses are replaced by the effective stresses. The model considers different interaction mechanisms between damage and plasticity defects in such a way that two-isotropic and two-kinematic hardening evolution equations are derived, one of each for the plasticity and the other for the damage. An additive decomposition of the total strain into elastic and inelastic parts is adopted in this work. The elastic part is further decomposed into two portions, one is due to the elastic distortion of the material grains and the other is due to the crack closure and void contraction. The inelastic part is also decomposed into two portions, one is due to nucleation and propagation of dislocations and the other is due to the lack of crack closure and void contraction. Uniaxial tension tests with unloadings have been used to investigate the damage growth in high strength steel. A good agreement between the experimental results and the model is obtained.     

损伤演化对韧性金属碎裂过程的影响

固体在冲击拉伸载荷作用下会断裂成多个碎片,基于线性内聚力断裂假设的Mott-Grady模型能较好地预测碎裂过程所产生的平均碎片尺度的下限。然而实际上,韧性金属的损伤演化是多元化的,为此通过数值模拟方法研究了不同损伤演化规律对韧性碎裂过程的影响。利用ABAQUS/Explicit动态有限元软件数值再现了韧性金属杆（45钢）在高应变率下拉伸碎裂的过程,分析了线性和非线性损伤演化对韧性碎裂过程的影响规律。结果表明：损伤演化规律对韧性金属的碎裂过程具有显著影响,非线性指标α越大,碎裂过程产生的碎片数越少;Grady-Kipp碎裂公式仍能在一定范围内预测韧性碎裂过程中产生的碎片尺寸;当非线性指标α远大于零时,在较低冲击拉伸载荷作用下,数值模拟结果和Grady-Kipp模型预测值偏差较大,随着应变率增大,数值模拟结果与Grady-Kipp模型预测值吻合较好。

     

The brittle and ductile behavior of clay samples containing a crack under mixed mode loading

The mechanics of propagation of a single crack in brittle and ductile samples of clay as well as their mode of failure were investigated. The crack in the brittle and in the ductile samples was subjected to a mixed-mode (Mode I and Mode II) type of loading. In the brittle and ductile samples, secondary cracks developed from the tips of the original crack. The secondary cracks did not follow the plane of the original crack but formed an angle α with this plane. The angle of crack propagation α was greater in the brittle than in the ductile samples. The brittle samples failed when the secondary cracks reached the edges of the samples. Their mode of failure was a typical tensile failure. In the ductile samples, the secondary cracks extended for a limited distance from the tips of the original crack and did not influence the failure of the samples that was recorded to be in shear. The Maximum Tangential Stress criterion predicted well the direction of crack propagation in the brittle clay samples. The direction of crack propagation in the ductile samples of clay was found to be a function of their water content. From the laboratory results, a relationship from which to obtain the angle of crack propagation α in the ductile samples is presented.     

Heuristic model of pseudo-macrocracking in composites with brittle matrix

Considered in this work is a heuristic model of pseudo-macrocracking of a fiber reinforced composite with a brittle matrix. By preserving the qualitative feature of the fracture process, crack extension corresponds to the formation of microcracks ahead of the main macrocrack. Critical stress intensity factor can be obtained from a simple energy balance. Pseudo-macrocracking can also be observed in a non-homogeneous solid which does not contain macrocracks. The results can be applied for evaluating the load carrying capacity of fiber-reinforced composites.     

The crack tip zone shielding effect for ductile particle reinforced brittle materials

The crack tip zone shielding effect for the ductile particle reinforced brittle materials is analyzed by using a micromechanics constitutive theory. The theory is developed here to determine the elastoplastic constitutive behavior of the composite. The elastoplastic particles, with isotropic or kinematical hardening, are uniformly dispersed in the brittle elastic matrix. The method proposed is based on the Mori-Tanaka's concept of average stress in the composite. The macroscopic yielding condition and the incremental stress strain relation of the composite during plastic deformation are explicity given in terms of the macroscopioc applied stress and the microstructural parameters of the composite such as the volume fraction and yield stress of ductile particles, elastic constants of the two phases, etc. Finally, the contribution of the plastic deformation in the particles near a crack tip to the toughening of the composite is evaluated. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Experimental validation of anisotropic ductile damage and failure of shock wave-loaded plates

A wide variety of ductile damage models is available in the literature for predicting damage growth and failure of structures. In the present study, circular metal plates are loaded alternately from both sides of their surfaces in shock tubes until a failure of the structures occurs. By means of these experiments reference deformations are obtained which are used to validate finite element simulations. The purpose is to determine how precise the damage growth and the failure of structures under shock wave loading conditions can be predicted.     

The ductile fracture of anisotropic materials

A theoretical solution is obtained which adapts the Dugdale model to anisotropic materials. The effect of anisotropy is shown to modify each isotropic field equation by amultiplicative constant which is a function of the anisotropic-material constants. A limit on the validity of a Dugdale-type solution is found using a von Mises' yield criterion which implies that the crack and plastic zone will extend along a direction other than the crack line. As long as the material is within pirescribed limits, the Dugdale finiteness condition is shown to be affected by material anisotropy only in the calculation of a yield stress. Experimental results on crack-opening displacements are presented which indicate that a large degree of anisotropy is necessary to cause significant deviations from isotropic theory. Results are presented which indicate that anisotropy does affect the direction of crack propagation.     

Mechanical behaviour of brittle matrix composites: a homogenization approach

A numerical model is developed with the aim of describing the macroscopic mechanical response of unidirectional brittle–matrix fiber-reinforced composites subjected to stresses acting in any plane transverse to the fibers. Finite element analyses of a representative unit cell are performed, with suitable boundary conditions ensuring continuity of the displacement field across adjacent cells and periodicity of the strain field over the cell. A strain–softening constitutive law is adopted for the matrix in tension to allow, for instance, for brittleness induced by possible defects in a polymeric matrix. The perfectly plastic case is also considered for sake of comparison. Results established for ductile composites are found to be inappropriate for brittle matrix composites: numerical analyses show that composites with softening matrix have transverse strength properties much poorer than perfectly plastic composites with matrix of equal strength, and even than the unreinforced matrix. An induced transverse anisotropy in the post-peak regime is also observed. A discussion on the proposed approach concludes the note.     

The effect of brittle interfacial compounds on deformation and fracture of molybdenum-aluminum fiber composites

The effect of brittle intermetallic compounds at the fiber-matrix interface on the deformation characteristics of molybdenum-aluminum fiber composites was investigated. If the filament is ductile and notch-insensitive, then composite strength degradation is relatively minor and composite strength can be predicted by a modified mixture-rule which neglects the strength contribution of the brittle compound. For the case of notch-sensitive filaments, severe filament degradation occurs upon compound formation. The degradation was shown to result from cracks formed during deformation at the roots of compound nodules. The presence of 10 per cent compound by volume results in a 50 per cent decrease in tensile strength, but larger amounts of compound cause little additional strength reduction. At filament volume fractions of 25 and 34 per cent and compound volume fractions less than 10 per cent, composite fracture occurs by the statistical accumulation of fiber necks or fractures depending on the notch sensitivity of the fiber. At high fiber or compound volume fractions, composite failure occurs upon the first or the second filament fracture.     

Modeling the anisotropic finite-deformation viscoelastic behavior of soft fiber-reinforced composites

This paper presents constitutive models for the anisotropic, finite-deformation viscoelastic behavior of soft fiber-reinforced composites. An essential assumption of the models is that both the fiber reinforcements and matrix can exhibit distinct time-dependent behavior. As such, the constitutive formulation attributes a different viscous stretch measure and free energy density to the matrix and fiber phases. Separate flow rules are specified for the matrix and the individual fiber families. The flow rules for the fiber families then are combined to give an anisotropic flow rule for the fiber phase. This is in contrast to many current inelastic models for soft fiber-reinforced composites which specify evolution equations directly at the composite level. The approach presented here allows key model parameters of the composite to be related to the properties of the matrix and fiber constituents and to the fiber arrangement. An efficient algorithm is developed for the implementation of the constitutive models in a finite-element framework, and examples are presented examining the effects of the viscoelastic behavior of the matrix and fiber phases on the time-dependent response of the composite.     

Strain-history effect on isotropic and anisotropic plastic behavior

An experimental investigation was performed to evaluate the effect of strain history on an initially isotropic material. A hot-rolled 2.5-in.-diam bar of SAE 1045 steel provided all the test specimens. Axial and circumferential compression data indicated that the steel was isotropic. Additional tension and torsion data indicated that the steel was an isotropic-hardening von Mises material; this was also confirmed by proportionate loading of thin-walled cylinders such that the ratio of axial to circumferential stresses was either 0, 1/2, 1, 2 or ∞. Two additional sets of cylinders were preloaded either in simple axial tension or as closed-ended cylinders to an effective plastic strain of 0.006 before they were proportionately loaded. The preloading had a pronounced effect on yield surfaces for reloading if the effective plastic strain on reloading was only slightly greater than that for the preloading. The effect of preloading on the yield surfaces was small when the effective plastic strain was three to four times that for the preloading. Hill's anisotropic theory was used to predict stress-strain relations for several of the reloaded cylinders. Good agreement was obtained between theory and experiment.     

Modelling and FE-simulation of plastic ductile damage evolution in plates and shells

Summary  The present paper reports on modelling and numerical simulation of thin-walled structures close to failure taking into consideration the effects of both geometrical and physical nonlinearity. The approach accounts for finite displacements and rotations, and the material model adopted includes elastic–plastic behaviour, isotropic and kinematic hardening, and ductile damage. Particular attention is paid to the problems of localised damage, damage progression and final collapse of the structure. Numerical simulation of the nonlinear response of bars, plates and shells to quasistatic monotonic and variable loading illustrates how material damage affects the load-carrying behaviour of structural components. Received 28 November 1999; accepted for publication 29 March 2000     

Elastoplastic modeling of circular fiber-reinforced ductile matrix composites considering a finite RVE

A micromechanical elastoplastic damage model considering a finite RVE is proposed to predict the overall elastoplastic damage behavior of circular fiber-reinforced ductile (matrix) composites. The constitutive damage model proposed in our preceding work (Kim and Lee, 2009) considering a finite Eshelby’s tensor (Li et al., 2005, Wang et al., 2005) is extended to accommodate the elastoplastic behavior of the composites. On the basis of the exterior-point Eshelby’s tensor for circular inclusions and the ensemble-averaged effective yield criterion, a micromechanical framework for predicting the effective elastoplastic damage behavior of ductile composites is derived. A series of numerical simulations are carried out to illustrate stress–strain response of the proposed micromechanical framework and to examine the influence of a Weibull parameter on the elastoplastic behavior of the composites. Furthermore, comparisons between the present predictions and experimental data available in the literature are made to further assess the predictive capability of the proposed model.     

A two-dimensional micromechanical model of anisotropic elastic-microplastic damage evolution

Summary A two-dimensional micromechanically based model of anisotropic elastic-microplastic damage evolution is presented. The deterioration of the material is represented by equally oriented Dugdale microcracks. Assuming a physically plausible crack growth law a consequent homogenization gives the macroscopic nonlinear stress-strain behavior during a loading process as well as the evolution of the corresponding anisotropic damage and typical characteristics during a final unloading process.

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Ein zweidimensionales mikromechanisches Modell anisotroper elastisch-mikroplastischer Schädigungsentwicklung

Übersicht Es wird ein zweidimensionales mikromechanisch begründetes Modell anisotroper elastischmikroplastischer Schädigungsentwicklung dargestellt. Die Materialschädigung wird durch gleich-orientierte Dugdale-Mikrorisse modelliert. Unter der Annahme eines physikalisch plausiblen Rißwachstumsgesetzes liefert eine entsprechende Homogenisierung sowohl das makroskopische nichtlineare Spannungs-Dehnungs-Verhalten während eines Belastungsprozesses als auch die Evolution der entsprechenden anisotropen Schädigung sowie typische Charakteristika beim Entlastungsprozeß.

     

Simulation of damage evolution in ductile metals undergoing dynamic loading conditions

A set of constitutive equations for large rate-dependent elastic-plastic-damage materials at elevated temperatures is presented to be able to analyze adiabatic high strain rate deformation processes for a wide range of stress triaxialities. The model is based on the concepts of continuum damage mechanics. Since the material macroscopic thermo-mechanical response under large strain and high strain rate deformation loading is governed by different physical mechanisms, a multi-dissipative approach is proposed. It incorporates thermo-mechanical coupling effects as well as internal dissipative mechanisms through rate-dependent constitutive relations with a set of internal variables. In addition, the effect of stress triaxiality on the onset and evolution of plastic flow, damage and failure is discussed.Furthermore, the algorithm for numerical integration of the coupled constitutive rate equations is presented. It relies on operator split methodology resulting in an inelastic predictor-elastic corrector technique. The explicit finite element program LS-DYNA augmented by an user-defined material subroutine is used to approximate boundary-value problems under dynamic loading conditions. Numerical simulations of dynamic experiments with different specimens are performed and good correlation of numerical results and published experimental data is achieved. Based on numerical studies modified specimens geometries are proposed to be able to detect complex damage and failure mechanisms in Hopkinson-Bar experiments.