Unstable Fracture Behavior of Rubber Toughened Poly(Styrene-co-Acrylonitrile)

A linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) approach was used to study fracture characteristics of ABS materials. The effects of crack (ligament) length and rubber content on the microscopic deformations taking place at the front of crack tip and in the bulk of the specimens were investigated. The results of fractography studies showed that, in addition to rubber content, the microscopic deformations are influenced by crack length. For some materials this manifests itself as a change in macroscopic response. The ligament length dependent behavior was increased for the samples with higher rubber contents. The results also showed that, although the elastic behavior with unstable crack growth is the dominant micromechanism of deformation, stable crack propagation still occurred in some compositions. All the fracture parameters, including fracture toughness, fracture energy, plastic zone size, and crack tip opening, increased with rubber content. The changes in microscopic and, as a consequence, in the macroscopic deformation behavior of a given specimen with ligament length were attributed to changes in yield stress of the sample and maximum stress on the ligament.     

"Bending to stretching" transition in disordered networks

From polymer gels to cytoskeletal structures, random networks of elastic material are commonly found in both materials science and biology. We present a three-dimensional micromechanical model of these networks and identify a "bending-to-stretching" transition. We characterize this transition in terms of concentration scaling laws, the stored elastic energy, and affinity measurements. Understanding the relationship between microscopic geometry and macroscopic mechanics will elucidate, for example, the mechanical properties of polymer gel networks or the role of semiflexible network mechanics in cells.     

Elastic-Plastic Analysis for Functionally Graded Thick-Walled Tube Subjected to Internal Pressure

The elastic-plastic response of the functionally graded thick-walled tube subjected to internal pressure is investigated by using the relation of the volume average stresses of constituents and the macroscopic stress of composite material in micromechanics. The tube consists of two idealized isotropic elastic-plastic materials whose volume fractions are power functions of the radius. As the internal pressure increases, the deformations of one phase and two phases from elastic to plastic are analyzed. In order to simplify the calculations we assume both materials with the same Poisson's ratio. By using the assumption of a uniform strain field within the representative volume element and the Tresca yield criterion, the theoretical solutions are obtained for the case of two elastic phases and the case of two plastic phases, and the function of the radial displacement is presented for the case with both elastic and plastic phases. The yield criterion of functionally graded material is given in terms of the yield stresses and volume fractions of constituents rather than Young's modulus and yield stress with different unknown parameters of the whole material in the existing papers. Finally we also discuss the position where the plastic deformation first occurs and the conditions for which material first yields in the tube.     

Floppy modes and nonaffine deformations in random fiber networks

We study the elasticity of random fiber networks. Starting from a microscopic picture of the nonaffine deformation fields, we calculate the macroscopic elastic moduli both in a scaling theory and a self-consistent effective medium theory. By relating nonaffinity to the low-energy excitations of the network ("floppy modes"), we achieve a detailed characterization of the nonaffine deformations present in fibrous networks.     

颗粒样品形变对声波传播影响的实验探究

为了更好地理解颗粒间接触结构的变化对通过颗粒介质中的声波的影响,本文利用单轴压缩实验,通过一系列增加的轴向压力使样品塑性应变不断增大,这在颗粒尺度上对应于颗粒间接触结构的改变.我们测量了此过程中通过颗粒样品的声波变化,结果表明颗粒体系内接触结构的变化对声波波形中的非相干波部分和频率有明显的影响,并且在样品接触结构变化的初始阶段声速是偏离有效介质理论的预测的.     

Homogenization for Periodic Heterogeneous Materials with Arbitrary Position-Dependent Material Properties

We present a rigorous homogenization approach for efficient computation of a class of physical problems in a one-dimensional periodic heterogeneous material. This material is represented by a spatially periodic array of unit cells with a length of ε. More specifically, the method is applied to the diffusion, heat conduction, and wave propagation problems. Heterogeneous materials can have arbitrary position-dependent continuous or discontinuous materials properties (for example heat conductivity) within the unit cell. The final effective model includes both effective properties at the leading order and high-order contributions due to the microscopic heterogeneity. A dimensionless heterogeneity parameter β is defined to represent high-order contributions, shown to be in the range of [-1/12, 0], and has a universal expression for all three problems. Both effective properties and heterogeneity parameter β are independent of ε, the microscopic scale of heterogeneity. The homogenized solution describing macroscopic variations can be obtained from the effective model. Solution with sub-unit-cell accuracy can be constructed based on the homogenized solution and its spatial derivatives. The paper represents a general approach to obtain the effective model for arbitrary periodic heterogeneous materials with position-dependent properties.     

The elastic dielectric

Macroscopic field equations, boundary conditions and equations of state are derived for the non-linear, macroscopic elastic and dielectric response of an insulator. A centrosymmetric polynomial representation of order four is introduced for the energy density; the equations of state for the electric field and stress tensor are then deduced as polynomials of degree three in the displacement gradients and electric displacement field. The results are applied to the special case of m3m material symmetry.

A finite, point-charge model of a centrosymmetric ionic crystal is introduced and used to determine 0°K microscopic expressions for the electric field and stress tensor equation of state coefficients introduced in the macroscopic analysis. The results are used to calculate the full set of second and third-order non-linear coefficients for NaI, based on a Born-Mayer potential and the 4·2°K elastic stiffness data of Claytor and Marshall.     

Random networks of fibres display maximal heterogeneity in the distribution of elastic energy

Above a small length scale, the distribution of local elastic energies in a material under an external load is typically Gaussian, and the dependence of the average elastic energy on strain defines the stiffness of the material. Some particular materials, such as granular packings, suspensions at the jamming transition, crumpled sheets and dense cellular aggregates, display under compression an exponential distribution of elastic energies, but also in this case the elastic properties are well defined. We demonstrate here that networks of fibres, which form uncorrelated non-fractal structures, have under external load a scale invariant distribution of elastic energy (epsilon) at the fibre-fibre contacts proportional to 1/epsilon. This distribution is much broader than any other distribution observed before for elastic energies in a material. We show that for small compressions it holds over 10 orders of magnitude in epsilon. In such a material a few 'hot spots' carry most of the elastic load. Consequently, these materials are highly susceptible to local irreversible deformations, and are thereby extremely efficient for damping vibrations.     

颗粒介质弹性的弛豫

颗粒介质是复杂的多体相互作用体系, 其弹性源自内部的力链结构, 弹性能量处在亚稳态, 具有复杂的弛豫行为. 在常规作用下, 颗粒介质往往呈现明显的弹性弛豫. 应力松弛是应变恒定时应力的衰减现象, 弹性弛豫是应力松弛的主要原因. 在前期工作基础上, 从弹性势能面和双颗粒温度热力学角度分析了弹性弛豫的机理, 量化了弹性应力演化不可逆过程; 基于双颗粒温度热力学计算得到了弹性能、颗粒温度和应力的演化, 其中应力松弛的计算结果与实验结果基本一致, 讨论了颗粒温度初值和输运系数的影响. 指出, 开展力链结构及其动力学研究是揭示宏观弹性弛豫机理的关键.     

含微孔洞脆性材料的冲击响应特性与介观演化机制

微孔洞显著地影响着脆性材料的冲击响应,理解其介观演化机制和宏观响应规律将使微孔洞有利于而无害于脆性材料的工程应用.通过建立能够准确表现材料弹性性质和断裂演化的格点-弹簧模型,本文揭示了孔洞的演化对于脆性材料的影响.冲击下孔洞导致的塌缩变形和从孔洞发射的剪切裂纹所导致的滑移变形产生了显著的应力松弛,并调制了冲击波的传播.在多孔脆性材料中,冲击波逐渐展宽为弹性波和变形波.变形波在宏观上类似于延性金属材料的塑性波,在介观上对应于塌缩变形和滑移变形过程.样品中的气孔率决定了脆性材料的弹性极限,气孔率和冲击应力共同影响着变形波的传播速度和冲击终态的应力幅值.含微孔洞脆性材料在冲击波复杂加载实验、功能材料失效的预防、建筑物防护等方面具有潜在的应用价值.所获得的冲击响应规律有助于针对特定应用优化设计脆性材料的冲击响应和动态力学性能.     

Homogenization and Upscaling for Diffusion,Heat Conduction,and Wave Propagation in Heterogeneous Materials

We present a general homogenization method for diffusion,heat conduction,and wave propagation in a periodic heterogeneous material with piecewise constants.The method is relevant to the frequently encountered upscaling issues for heterogeneous materials.The dispersion relation for each problem is first expressed in the general form where the frequency ω (or wavenumber k) is expanded in terms of the wavenumber k (or frequency ω).A general homogenization model can be directly obtained with any given dispersion relation.Next step we study the unit cell of the heterogeneous material and derive the exact dispersion relation.The final homogenized equations include both leading order terms (effective properties) and high order contributions that represent the effect of the microscopic heterogeneity on the macroscopic behavior.That effect can be lumped into a single dimensionless heterogeneity parameter β,which is bounded between 1/12 ≤β≤ 0 and has a universal expression for all three problems.Numerical examples validate the proposed method and demonstrate a significant computational saving.     

Homogenized Dynamics of Stochastic Partial Differential Equations with Dynamical Boundary Conditions

A microscopic heterogeneous system under random influence is considered. The randomness enters the system at physical boundary of small scale obstacles as well as at the interior of the physical medium. This system is modeled by a stochastic partial differential equation defined on a domain perforated with small holes (obstacles or heterogeneities), together with random dynamical boundary conditions on the boundaries of these small holes. A homogenized macroscopic model for this microscopic heterogeneous stochastic system is derived. This homogenized effective model is a new stochastic partial differential equation defined on a unified domain without small holes, with a static boundary condition only. In fact, the random dynamical boundary conditions are homogenized out, but the impact of random forces on the small holes’ boundaries is quantified as an extra stochastic term in the homogenized stochastic partial differential equation. Moreover, the validity of the homogenized model is justified by showing that the solutions of the microscopic model converge to those of the effective macroscopic model in probability distribution, as the size of small holes diminishes to zero. Dedicated to Giuseppe Da Prato on the occasion of his 70th birthday.     

Force distributions and force chains in random stiff fiber networks

We study the elasticity of random stiff fiber networks. The elastic response of the fibers is characterized by a central force stretching stiffness as well as a bending stiffness that acts transverse to the fiber contour. Previous studies have shown that this model displays an anomalous elastic regime where the stretching mode is fully frozen out and the elastic energy is completely dominated by the bending mode. We demonstrate by simulations and scaling arguments that, in contrast to the bending dominated elastic energy, the equally important elastic forces are to a large extent stretching dominated. By characterizing these forces on microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic scales we find two mechanisms of how forces are transmitted in the network. While forces smaller than a threshold F_c are effectively balanced by a homogeneous background medium, forces larger than F_c are found to be heterogeneously distributed throughout the sample, giving rise to highly localized force chains known from granular media.     

Numerical simulation of flat-tip micro-indentation of glassy polymers: Influence of loading speed and thermodynamic state

Flat-tip micro-indentation tests were performed on quenched and annealed polymer glasses at various loading speeds. The results were analyzed using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model that captures the intrinsic deformation characteristics of a polymer glass: a strain-rate dependent yield stress, strain softening and strain hardening. The advantage of this model is that changes in yield stress due to physical aging are captured in a single parameter. The two materials studied (polycarbonate (PC) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)) were both selected for the specific rate-dependence of the yield stress that they display at room temperature. Within the range of strain rates experimentally covered, the yield stress of PC increases linearly with the logarithm of strain rate, whereas, for PMMA, a characteristic change in slope can be observed at higher strain rates. We demonstrate that, given the proper definition of the viscosity function, the flat-tip indentation response at different indentation speeds can be described accurately for both materials. Moreover, it is shown that the model captures the mechanical response on the microscopic scale (indentation) as well as on the macroscopic scale with the same parameter set. This offers promising possibilities of extracting mechanical properties of polymer glasses directly from indentation experiments.     

Deformation of cross-linked semiflexible polymer networks

Networks of filamentous proteins play a crucial role in cell mechanics. These cytoskeletal networks, together with various cross-linking and other associated proteins largely determine the (visco)elastic response of cells. In this Letter we study a model system of cross-linked, stiff filaments in order to explore the connection between the microstructure under strain and the macroscopic response of cytoskeletal networks. We find two distinct regimes as a function primarily of cross-link density and filament rigidity: one characterized by affine deformation and one by nonaffine deformation. We characterize the crossover between these two.     

Optimized electric networks for vibration damping of piezoactuated beams

This paper studies the multimodal vibration damping of an elastic beam equipped with multiple piezoelectric actuators connected to an electric network. Two analytical models of the electromechanical coupled structure are considered: a homogenized one, accurate when a large number of actuators is employed, is used to derive simple design criteria for the electric network; and a discrete one, able to face real situations when few actuators are employed, is adopted to test the network performance, defined as the exponential time-decay rate of the free vibrations of the controlled structure. Some electric networks are presented and compared in simulation to networks previously proposed in the literature, in order to evaluate their performances in broadband vibration control.     

Cross-link-governed dynamics of biopolymer networks

Recent experiments show that networks of stiff biopolymers cross-linked by transient linker proteins exhibit complex stress relaxation, enabling network flow at long times. We present a model for the dynamics controlled by cross-links in such networks. We show that a single microscopic time scale for cross-linker unbinding leads to a broad spectrum of macroscopic relaxation times and a shear modulus G ～ ω(1/2) for low frequencies ω. This model quantitatively describes the measured rheology of actin networks cross-linked with α-actinin-4 over more than four decades in frequency.     

A physical interpretation of softening of pressure-sensitive and anisotropic materials

Several new dynamic models are proposed to explain the mechanical behaviour of softening of pressure-sensitive and anisotropic materials at a macroscopic level. If a pressure-sensitive material is loaded by a force and a variable pressure or an anisotropic material is subjected to a load with a changeable loading direction relative to the material frame, their stress–strain relationships become more complicated. Mechanical behaviours of these stress–strain relationships have to cover the feature concerning the change of pressure or loading direction, i.e. mechanical properties of pressure-sensitive material corresponding to different pressure state or anisotropic material relating to different loading direction will play an important role in deciding their stress–strain relationships. Such shift of material properties due to the variable pressure or loading history may significantly expand the traditional concept of the stability of material deformation, and the second order of plastic work being negative may be a response of stable plastic deformation, which is commonly called softening.     

Plastic deformation and quasi-periodic vibrations in a tribological system

A one-dimensional macroscopic model is used to analyze the plastic deformation of materials without coating and with a plastic hardening coating or a plastic nonhardening coating at friction. The calculations show that mechanical vibrations can be excited in a tribological system and that their frequency decreases sharply when going from elastic to plastic deformation. One of the causes of the development of plastic deformation in the surface layer and in the sublayer of the material under a hard coating is found to be a decrease in the elastic properties of the material because of frictional heating. An intense plastic shear in the material under the hard coating can cause its failure due to incompatible strains of the coating and the base.