Effect of moisture on the viscoelastic properties of an epoxy-clay nanocomposite

The results of a complex study on the viscoelastic behavior of an epoxy-clay nanocomposite after a long-term exposure to moisture are presented. The main laws of variation in the glass-transition temperature of the nanocomposite in relation to the different content of filler and absorbed moisture were determined by using a thermomechanical analysis. The loading levels in creep experiments were chosen according to the results of quasi-static tensile tests. The sets of creep and creep recovery curves obtained were approximated by the Boltzmann–Volterra linear integral equation with account of the principle of moisture-time analogy. The variation in the spectrum of retardation time of the epoxy resin with introduction of the nanofiller was estimated. It is shown that the moisture-time reduction function correlates with changes in the forced rubber-like elasticity and the volume of nanocomposite specimens upon their moistening.     

Numerical Prediction of the Strain State of Thermoset Matrix/Mineral Filler Composite Plates

The numerical prediction of the fields of inelastic strains (the linear invariant of the tensor of inelastic strains) in thermoset polyester/marble filler composite plates is discussed. A uniformly distributed load is applied to the plates, which lie on a steel base. The strain fields are predicted by means of the boundary element method by using creep test data for the composites and the polyester matrix itself. Identical creep tests were performed for two ages of the materials (1 month and 13 years), which allowed evaluating the aging effect. The study is carried out in two stages. At the first stage, the application of the generalized Maxwell-Gurevich equation to the thermoset matrix/mineral filler composite is demonstrated. The model parameters determined from the experimental creep data is used for the second stage, where the state of inelastic strains in the plates is predicted by applying the boundary element method. The influence of composite formulation (filler content) and physical aging of the polyester matrix on the state of inelastic strains in the plates is shown.__________Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 145–156, March–April, 2005.     

Effect of a filler on the strength properties of thermosets

The effect of a filler on the strength properties of polymers in tension is investigated. The thermostructural stresses that develop in the composite during cure are taken into account. Relations are given for the strength of the filled polymer as a function of the percentage filler content. In the process of analyzing the thermostructural stresses an analytic expression is obtained for the linear expansion coefficient of the composite with allowance for the structural distribution of the components. Calculated values of the strength and thermostructural stresses are presented for composites with different filler contents. The theoretical determination of the strength of filled polymers is compared with the results of experimental investigations of composites based on epoxy resin filled with quartz dust.Leningrad Mechanical Institute. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 1, pp. 97–101, January–February, 1973.     

Creep and Long-Term Strength of Press-Powder Composites

The mechanical state of a press-powder filler for pyroautomatics system units of aerospace equipment during their long-term storage is investigated. With the use of the endochronic approach, the rheological properties of a dispersedly reinforced composite are simulated based on the conceptions of linear and nonlinear creep. Analytical expressions of constitutive relations of creep and strength for the composites are obtained. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 803–818, November–December, 2005.     

Prediction of the deformation properties of a polymeric composite with a granular-fibrous filler

Conclusion A variant of calculation of the characteristics of the deformation properties of a hybrid composite containing a complex disperse filler in the form of granular particles and short fibers was proposed. The effect of aggregation of the granular filler, the statistical distributions of the fibers by lengths and orientation in the material, and the anisotropy of the fibers are taken into consideration in the calculation. The statistical distribution of the orientation of the fibers is given by a function proportional to the distance from the center to the surface of a triaxial ellipsoid in the corresponding direction. The uniform random distribution of the fibers in bulk and in the plane is a special case of this distribution. The results of the analysis of the effect of the parameters of the statistical distributions of the length and orientation of short fibers on the elasticity characteristics of a composite are reported. The dependence of the creep of the composite on the ratio of the concentration of the components of the complex filler was determined, and the efficiency of partial replacement of a granular filler by a short-fiber filler to inhibit creep of the composite was demonstrated. The possibilities of predicting the long-term creep were experimentally confirmed on the example of LDPE filled with ground limestone and short glass fibers.Presented at the Sixth All-Union Conference on the Mechanics of Polymer and Composite Materials (Riga, November, 1986).Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 5, pp. 898–909, September–October, 1987.     

Long-Term Prediction of Creep Strain of Expanded Polystyrene

Data obtained in investigating the creep of expanded polystyrene in compression are discussed. An analysis of the results of creep tests 65–608 days long showed that the creep can be predicted for 50 years based on experiments of less duration than the 605 days indicated in EN 13163. For this purpose, it is suggested to employ a 95-fold extrapolation in time if the creep curves are described by a power function (as recommended by EN 13163) or a 50-fold extrapolation if the exponential equation proposed in the present paper is used. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 795–802, November–December, 2005.     

Effect of aggregation of a dispersed rigid filler on the elastic characteristics of a polymer composite

Conclusions We proposed a method for describing the effective elastic characteristics of a polymer composite with a rigid aggregating filler. An important feature of such a medium is the variable coupling of the inclusion phase in relation to its volume content. A change in the degree of coupling of the filler is accounted for by introducing an additional parameter. We examined a method of determining the coupling parameter from the results of statistical modeling of the geometry of the medium. Using the example of a calcite-HDPE composite, we showed that aggregation has a significant effect on the dependence of the elastic modulus on the volume content of filler; satisfactory agreement was obtained between the theoretical and experimental data.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 14–22, January–February, 1986.     

Effects of temperature and moisture on the mechanical properties of polyester resin in tension

The effect of environment on the physical and mechanical properties of composite materials in some cases is determined by the environmental sensitivity of the binder. The results of experimental investigation of the deformability and strength of polyester resin, widely used as a binder in composites, upon the action of stationary and quasi-stationary loads, temperatures, and moisture are presented. The ranges of acceptable values of these services factors are determined. The elastic modulus and tensile strength of the material are obtained from quasi-static tests. The viscoelastic behavior of the resin is investigated in creep tests. From the results of a short-term experiment with stepwise loading up to failure, it is found that the creep of specimens with a moisture content of 0.14% can be described by a linear viscoelastic model for stresses up to 20 MPa (two thirds of the strength). The action of single loading impulses is summarized according to the Boltzmann superposition principle. The temperature and absorbed moisture are considered as factors accelerating the relaxation processes in the material. The creep activation under the action of these factors is described using the methods of time-temperature and time-moisture equivalence. The results of short-term creep tests allow us to determine the relaxation characteristics of the material in stationary conditions. The long-term creep under close-to-service conditions is predicted using these data and quite good agreement with the control test is obtained. The sensitivity of the material characteristics (strength, elastic modulus, and creep strain) to the action of temperature and moisture is estimated. The creep strain is most sensitive to the action of environmental factors. For a fully saturated material (moisture content 1.64 wt.%), after one hour creep, this strain four times exceeds that of a dry one. The same growth in deformability is caused by an 18°C increase in temperature. A quantitative comparison of the characteristics of polyester and epoxy resins allows us to choose the binder for composites and to estimate the expected environmental effect. Presented at the 11th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, June 11–15, 2000). Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 395–406, May–June, 2000.     

Numerical simulation of the rheological properties of granular composites by using a structural approach

Composites with an elastomeric matrix containing rigid particles of diameter 10–1000 μm are studied. One of possible mechanisms of the rheological behavior of such filled systems, related to the origination and growth of vacuoles near the rigid inclusions in a viscous matrix, is considered. For simulating the mechanism of formation of rheological properties of the filled elastomers, we use a structural cell in the form of an elastomeric cylinder, whose height and diameter are equal in magnitude, with a rigid spherical inclusion at its center. Deformation of the cells is examined with the observance of boundary conditions providing the preservation of their close packing. The inclusion is assumed to be rigid, and the matrix properties are described by equations of the linear hereditary viscoelasticity theory. The formation of vacuoles is described by using the approach suggesting that an initial debonding begins to propagate when the energy accumulated in the extended matrix reaches a value sufficient to create a new interface. The heterogeneity of the composite is simulated by taking into account the variability of the local filler concentration. Creep curves obtained for composite cells with different content of the solid phase are presented. Comparisons between the numerical and experimental results show a satisfactory agreement. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 6, pp. 895–906, November–December, 2008.     

Influence of physical aging on creep of rubber

The effect of physical aging on the creep response of chloropren rubber filled with carbon black was studied. The method of reduced variables and analytical method of determination of influence of physical aging on the creep compliance in short creep time test are proposed.Glówny Instytut Górnictwa, Pl. Gwarków 1, 40–166 Katowice, Poland. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 1, pp. 112–118, January–February, 1997.     

Dependence of the rheological characteristics of filled polypropylene on filler concentration,loading regime and temperature

The rheological characteristics of polypropylene have been investigated in relation to filler concentration, loading rate in the =wt regime, creep stress and time interval and temperature. A study has been made of the relationship between the changes in the rheological characteristics of the material, determined from - curves obtained from tensile tests at different constant loading rates, creep tests and by acoustical methods, with variation in filler concentration and temperature.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp. 853–858, September–October, 1968.     

Response of fly ash-reinforced functionally graded rubber composites subjected to mechanical loading

A novel approach to estimate the Young’s modulus of a functionally graded rubber composite (FGRC) from the damping ratio is demonstrated with the examples of unreinforced and fly ash-reinforced materials. FGRC coupons were prepared using the conventional casting technique. The occurrence of gradation in the specimens was attributed to the variable density of particles present in the fly ash, settling at different depths. The technique of free vibrations was used for experimentation. The damping response of the FGRC specimens was studied. The results obtained from the experiments showed that, with growing filler weight fraction, the Young’s modulus of the composite increased. The empirical model developed to predict the magnitude of the modulus turned out to be in good agreement with experimental data.     

Modeling the influence of mineral content and porosity on ultrasound parameters in bone by using synthetic phantoms

Model composite media − 10×15×80 mm³ bone tissue phantoms based on an epoxy resin with fillers—were made to study the influence of porosity and mineral content on ultrasound velocity and attenuation. The pores were simulated by ∼ 1 mm³ particles of a soft rubber, while the mineral content was imitated by a mineral residue of natural bone obtained by burning and grinding. The porosity and mineral content were varied in the range of 0–70% by volume with a step of 10%. The velocity, attenuation, and prevalent frequency of ultrasound were measured by the pulse transition method, using transducers with nominal frequencies 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 MHz. It was experimentally found that the ultrasound velocity decreased nearly exponentially with growth in porosity, while the velocity dispersion was negligible at frequencies >0.2 MHz; the ultrasound attenuation increased linearly with growth in porosity and strongly depended on the frequency; the velocity increased nonlinearly with growth in mineral content above 40%; the attenuation did not exhibit a distinct dependence on the mineral content; the porosity provoked a shift in the prevalent frequency of transducers, tending to the common value of 0.2 MHz, while the mineral content did not excite similar changes. The complex measurement of velocity, frequency-dependent attenvation, and prevenlent frequency of ultrasound is proposed in ultrasonic diagnostics of bone for more precise determination of the influence of the porosity and the degree of mineralization on the bone condition.     

Robust Optimal Stopping-Time Control for Nonlinear Systems

   Abstract. We formulate a robust optimal stopping-time problem for a state-space system and give the connection between various notions of lower value function for the associated games (and storage function for the associated dissipative system) with solutions of the appropriate variational inequality (VI) (the analogue of the Hamilton—Jacobi—Bellman—Isaacs equation for this setting). We show that the stopping-time rule can be obtained by solving the VI in the viscosity sense and a positive definite supersolution of the VI can be used for stability analysis.     

Stochastic 2-D Navier—Stokes Equation

   Abstract. In this paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions for the stochastic Navier—Stokes equation in bounded and unbounded domains. These solutions are stochastic analogs of the classical Lions—Prodi solutions to the deterministic Navier—Stokes equation. Local monotonicity of the nonlinearity is exploited to obtain the solutions in a given probability space and this significantly improves the earlier techniques for obtaining strong solutions, which depended on pathwise solutions to the Navier—Stokes martingale problem where the probability space is also obtained as a part of the solution.     

Applying the dual operator formalism to derive the zeroth-order boundary function of the plasma-sheath equation

The article constructs the asymptotic solution of the Tonks-Langmuir integro-differential equation with an Emmert kernel, which describes the potential both in the bulk plasma and in a narrow boundary layer. Equations of this type are singularly perturbed, because the highest order (second) derivative is multiplied by a small coefficient. The asymptotic solution is obtained by the boundary function method. The second-order differential equation describing the behavior of the zeroth-order boundary function is investigated using the dual operator formalism — an analog of the conjugate operator in the linear theory. The application of this formalism has produced an asymptotic solution and has also made it possible to propose a number of homogeneous discrete three-point schemes for solving the equation. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Matematika i Informatika, No. 22, pp. 76–90, 2005.     

Calculation of deformative and thermal properties of multiphase composite materials filled with composite or hollow spherical inclusions by the effective medium method

A theoretical investigation was carried out to examine the possibilities of a structural approach to prediction of elastic constants, creep functions, and thermal properties of multiphase polymer composite materials filled with composite or hollow spherical Inclusions of several types. The problem of determining effective properties of the composite was solved by generalizing the effective medium method, a variant of the self-consistent method, for the case of a four-phase kernel-shell-matrix-equivalent homogeneous medium model. Exact analytical expressions for the bulk modulus thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity coefficient, and specific heat were obtained. The solution for the shear modulus is given in the form of a nonlinear equation whose coefficients are the solution of a system of 12 linear equations.To be presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October 1995.Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 462–472, July–August, 1995.     

Physicomechanical properties of composites from recycled polyethylene and linen yarn production wastes

The possibilities of utilizing wastes of linen thread production (chaffs, spinning and roving losses) in recycled polyolefin composites have been investigated. The wastes were mixed with recycled polyethylenes (produced from domestic and industrial film production wastes). The physicomechanical properties (tensile strength, bending and tensile moduli, and water resistance) and the fluidity (melt flow-behavior index) for systems with a different filler content are estimated. Almost all the composite materials obtained have satisfactory fluidity (melt flow-behavior index is not lower than 0.07–0.15 dg/min). For all types of the composites, a slight increase in tensile strength and a considerable increase (3–7 times) in bending and tensile moduli were observed. The water resistance of the composites decreased with an increase in the filler content. The modification of filled systems with diisocyanates (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) improved the useful properties and water resistance of all the composites investigated.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 199–210, March–April, 1999.     

Influence of nanofillers on the thermal and mechanical behavior of DGEBA-based adhesives for bonded-in timber connections

Results of an experimental investigation into the thermal behavior and mechanical properties of a room-temperature-cured epoxy adhesive (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DGEBA) cross-linked with polyetheramines and filled with different fillers, namely nanosilica, liquid rubber (CTBN), and clay, are reported. The nanosilica and liquid rubber increased the flexural strength and elastic modulus of the adhesive systems; the addition of clay particles raised the elastic modulus significantly, but embrittled the adhesive. Establishing a correct cure time is very important for bonded-in timber structures, as it will affect the bond strength. A study on the effect of cure time on the flexural strength was carried out, from which it follows that the adhesives should be cured for at least 20 days at room temperature. The damping characteristics and the glass-transition temperature of the adhesives were determined by using a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results showed that the filled adhesives had a higher storage modulus, which was in agreement with the elastic moduli determined from static bending tests. The introduction of the fillers increased its glass-transition temperature considerably. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 5, pp. 599–614, September–October, 2006.