Debonding and fiber pull-out in reinforced composites

In order to evaluate the strength of fiber-reinforced composites, there is first the need to investigate the interfacial debonding and the pull-out of fibers in a fractured composite with intact fibers. This type of problem in crack bridging has been investigated by several authors based on different models and assumptions [1–7]. In this study, we will consider a three-dimensional model of a single fiber of finite length bonded by a finite cylindrical matrix with an initial crack existing in a portion of the interface. In the model, one end of the cylinder is so constrained that the axial component of displacement vanishes. A tensile stress is applied to the fiber at the other end. The aim is to determine the pull-out of the fiber and the critical condition for interfacial debonding. Both the fiber and the matrix are treated as elastic materials. Analysis is made based on a method using Papkovich-Neuber displacement potential functions for the problem of an elastic solid subjected to axisymmetrical boundary conditions. Solutions are found by means of the technique of trigonometrical series. Effects of initial misfit strains and frictional sliding between the fiber and the matrix over the interfacial crack are also included in the study.     

Multi-scale modeling of tensile behavior of carbon nanotube-reinforced composites

A multi-scale representative volume element (RVE) for modeling the tensile behavior of carbon nanotube-reinforced composites is proposed. The RVE integrates nanomechanics and continuum mechanics, thus bridging the length scales from the nano- through the mesoscale. A progressive fracture model based on the modified Morse interatomic potential is used for simulating the behavior of the isolated carbon nanotubes and the FE method for modeling the matrix and building the RVE. Between the nanotube and the matrix a perfect bonding is assumed until the interfacial shear stress exceeds the corresponding strength. Then, nanotube/matrix debonding is simulated by prohibiting load transfer in the debonded region. Using the RVE, a unidirectional nanotube/polymer composite was modeled and the results were compared with corresponding rule-of-mixtures predictions. A significant enhancement in the stiffness of the polymer owing to the adding of the nanotubes is predicted. The effect of interfacial shear strength on the tensile behavior of the nanocomposite was also studied. Stiffness is found to be unaffected while tensile strength to significantly decrease with decreasing the interfacial shear strength.     

共晶基陶瓷复合材料的断裂韧性

应用细观力学方法研究了由具有随机尺寸和方位的棒体共晶体构成的共晶基陶瓷复合材料的断裂韧性.首先根据棒状共晶体的细观结构特性,考虑共晶体边界处的微观滑移确定共晶陶瓷复合材料的开裂应力,当外载荷达到开裂应力时,裂纹开始扩展.然后分析裂纹表面处的棒状共晶体桥联力使裂纹产生闭合效应,减小裂纹尖端的应力集中,建立棒状共晶体桥联增韧机制;再依据棒状共晶体拔出过程中摩擦力做功,建立棒状共晶体拔出增韧机制.最后在棒状共晶体的桥联与拔出增韧机制的基础上,得到了共晶基陶瓷复合材料断裂韧性的理论表达式.结果表明共晶基陶瓷复合材料的断裂韧性与棒状共晶体的长径比密切相关.     

An asymmetrical dynamic model for bridging fiber pull-out of unidirectional composite materials

An elastic analysis of an internal crack with bridging fibers parallel to the free surface in an infinite orthotropic elastic plane is studied. An asymmetrical dynamic model for bridging fiber pull-out of unidirectional composite materials is presented for analyzing the distributions of stress and displacement with the internal asymmetrical crack under the loading conditions of an applied non-homogenous stress and the traction forces on crack faces yielded by the bridging fiber pull-out model. Thus the fiber failure is determined by maximum tensile stress, resulting in fiber rupture and hence the crack propagation would occur in a self-similarity manner. The formulation involves the development of a Riemann-Hilbert problem. Analytical solution of an asymmetrical propagation crack of unidirectional composite materials under the conditions of two moving loads given is obtained, respectively. After those analytical solutions were utilized by superposition theorem, the solutions of arbitrary complex problems could be obtained.     

三维冲击荷载弹塑性弯曲裂纹张开位移

主要研究冲击载荷作用下的三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端的张开位移问题．综合考虑了冲击作用应力,三维塑性区域边界上正应力与剪应力,利用二阶摄动方法计算了三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端的张开位移．用数值解法计算出三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端张开位移,作图分析了三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端张开位移与三维裂纹体几何尺寸之间的变化关系．三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端张开位移随着三维裂纹体厚度的增大而减小,随着三维裂纹体厚度的均匀增大,三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端张开位移尺寸不断减小,减小的幅度越来越小,最终趋于平面应变状态下的弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端张开位移尺寸．当三维裂纹体几何尺寸相同时,三维弯曲裂纹尖端动态张开位移随外部冲击载荷的不断增大而逐渐增大,三维弯曲裂纹尖端动态张开位移随动荷系数的增大而迅速增大,建立了一个计算三维弹塑性弯曲裂纹尖端动态张开位移的崭新理论模型．     

Asymmetrical dynamic fracture model of bridging fiber pull-out of unidirectional composite materials

An elastic analysis of an internal crack with bridging fibers parallel to the free surface in an infinite orthotropic anisotropic elastic plane is studied, and asymmetrical dynamic fracture model of bridging fiber pull-out of unidirectional composite materials is presented for analyzing the distributions of stress and displacement with the internal asymmetrical crack under the loading conditions of an applied non-homogenous stress and the traction forces on crack faces yielded by the bridging fiber pull-out model. Thus the fiber failure is ascertained by maximum tensile stress, the fiber ruptures and hence the crack propagation should also appear in the modality of self-similarity. The formulation involves the development of a Riemann-Hilbert problem. Analytical solution of an asymmetrical propagation crack of unidirectional composite materials under the conditions of two increasing loads given is obtained, respectively. In terms of correlative material properties, the variable rule of dynamic stress intensity factor was depicted very well. After those analytical solutions were utilized by superposition theorem, the solutions of arbitrary complex problems could be gained.     

基于弹性-塑性内聚力模型的纤维拔出界面宏观行为分析

用解析法分析了单纤维从聚合物基体中的拔出过程,采用弹性—塑性内聚力模型模拟裂纹的扩展和界面失效,确定了临界纤维埋入长度,该值区分两种不同长度的纤维拔出过程. 在纤维拔出过程,界面经历不同的阶段. 纤维埋长小于临界长度时,界面的脱粘载荷与纤维的埋长成正比;超过临界长度后,界面的脱粘载荷近似为常数. 分析了界面参数对脱粘载荷的影响:增加界面的剪切强度和界面的断裂韧性,或减小界面裂纹萌生位移,均能提高界面的脱粘载荷;界面脱粘后无界面摩擦应力时,拔出载荷—位移曲线的峰值载荷等于界面的脱粘载荷;界面摩擦应力存在时,使峰值载荷大于脱粘载荷,需要较长的纤维埋入长度和较大的界面摩擦应力.      

A dynamic model of bridging fiber pull-out of composite materials

An elastic analysis of an internal central crack with bridging fibers parallel to the free surface in an infinite orthotropic anisotropic elastic plane is carried out. In this paper a dynamic model of bridging fiber pull-out is presented for analyzing the distributions stress and displacement of composite materials with the internal central crack under the loading conditions of an applied non-uniform stress and the traction forces on crack faces yielded by the fiber pull-out model. Thus the fiber failure is determined by maximum tensile stress, the fiber breaks and hence the crack propagation should occur in self-similar fashion. By reducing the dynamic model to the Keldysh–Sedov mixed boundary value problem, a straightforward and easy analytical solution can be attained. When the crack extends, its fibers continue to break. Analytical study on the crack extension under the action of an inhomogeneous point force Px/t, Pt is obtained for orthotropic anisotropic body, respectively; and it can be utilized to attain the concrete solutions of the model by the ways of superposition.     

Helical Fiber Pull-out in Biological Materials

Many biological materials, such as wood and bone, possess helicoid microstructures at microscale, which can serve as reinforcing elements to transfer stress between crack surfaces and improve the fracture toughness of their composites. Failure processes, such as fiber/matrix interface debonding and sliding associated with pull-out of helical fibers, are responsible mainly for the high energy dissipation needed for the fracture toughness enhancement. Here we present systemic analyses of the pull-out behavior of a helical fiber from an elastic matrix via the finite element method(FEM) simulation, with implications regarding the underlying toughening mechanism of helicoid microstructures. We find that, through their uniform curvature and torsion, helical fibers can provide high pull-out force and large interface areas, resulting in high energy dissipation that accounts, to a large extent, for the high toughness of biological materials. The helicity of fiber shape in terms of the helical angle has significant effects on the force-displacement relationships as well as the corresponding energy dissipation during fiber pull-out.     

Numerical model for composite material with polymer matrix reinforced by carbon nanotubes

Due to the high stiffness and strength, as well as their ability to act as conductors, carbon nanotubes are under intense investigation as fillers in polymeric materials. The nature of the carbon nanotube/polymer bonding and the curvature of the carbon nanotubes within the polymer have arisen as particular factors in the efficacy of the carbon nanotubes to actually provide any enhanced stiffness or strength to the nanocomposite. Here the effects of carbon nanotube curvature and interface interaction with the matrix on the nanocomposite stiffness are investigated using nanomechanical analysis. In particular, the effects of poor bonding and thus poor shear lag load transfer to the carbon nanotubes are studied. In the case of poor bonding, carbon nanotubes waviness is shown to enhance the composite stiffness.     

Bending effect of through-thickness reinforcement rods on mode I delamination toughness of DCB specimen. I. Linearly elastic and rigid-perfectly plastic models

The use of through-thickness reinforcement in the form of short rods has been proposed to improve the interlaminar properties of laminated composites in the recent years. Compared to a fibrous short rod, which is often referred to as z-fiber, a metallic rod, referred to as z-rod in this paper, has reasonably high capability to carry transverse loading, i.e., a z-rod can provide both axial and transverse bridging tractions to the delamination crack. Therefore, a new analytical model is proposed to study the bending effect of the z-rods on mode I delamination toughness of laminated composites. In this new model, both the axial pull-out and the transverse bending are considered simultaneously. New bending moment and displacement relationships for a single z-rod are established by modeling the z-rod embedded in a linearly elastic and rigid-perfectly plastic matrix using the classical beam theory. By using an approximate expression for mode I fracture toughness of double-cantilever-beam (DCB) specimen, a parametric analysis of DCB specimen reinforced by the z-rods is conducted. The present numerical results show that the bending effect should not be ignored when stiffer z-rods are employed to reinforce the laminated composites.     

Residual strength of a fiber reinforced metal matrix composite with a crack

The residual strength of a cracked unidirectional fiver reinforced metal matrix composite is studied. We propose a bridging model based on the Dugdale strip yielding zones in the matrix ahead of the crack tips that accounts for ductile deformations of the matrix and fiber debonding and pull-out in the strip yielding zone. The bridging model is used to study the fracture of an anisotropic material and its residual strength is calculated numerically. The predicted results for a SiC/titanium composite agree well with the existing experimental data. It is found that a higher fiber bridging stress and a larger fiber pull-out length significantly contribute to the composite's residual strength. The composite's strength may be more notch-insensitive than the corresponding matrix material's strength depending on several factors such as fiber-matrix interface properties and the ratio of the matrix modulus to an ‘effective modulus’ of the composite.     

Nonlinear analysis of a SWCNT over a bundle of nanotubes

The deformation of a single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) interacting with a curved bundle of nanotubes is analyzed. The SWCNT is modeled as a straight elastic inextensible beam based on small deformation. The bundle of nanotubes is assumed rigid and the interaction is due to the van der Waals forces. An analytical solution is obtained using a bilinear approximation to the van der Waals forces. The analytical results are in good agreement with the results of two numerical methods. The results indicate that the SWCNT remains near the curved bundle provided that its curvature is below a critical value. For curvatures above this critical value the SWCNT breaks contact with the curved bundle and nearly returns to its straight position. A parameter study shows that the critical curvature depends on the stiffness of the SWCNT and the absolute minimum energy associated with the van der Waals forces but it is independent of the SWCNT's length in general. An analytical estimate of the critical curvature is developed. The results of this study may be applicable to composites of nanotubes where separation phenomena are suspected to occur.     

弯载下位于刚性固定端周向壁穿裂纹的圆柱壳弹塑性解

金属圆柱壳结构常见于大型复杂结构系统中。这类构件在其端部与其它构件相连接是工程上常见的结构形式。由于连接处焊接热影响或实际复杂内力的作用,在连接处产生疲劳裂纹的几率相对增大;另一方面,由于高韧性材料的应用,使得弹塑性裂纹更为常见。然而到目前为止尚无这类问题的弹塑性理论解析。本文针对受弯曲载荷作用下的周向壁穿裂纹位于固定端的圆柱壳,基于半膜力壳理论及Dugdale模型,推导了裂纹尖端张开位移(CTOD)和裂纹尖端张开角度(CTOA)等一套相对完整的弹塑性解析解。该解除少数数值求根外,均为显式表达,可用于裂纹起裂、撕裂计算,追踪此类由弹塑性裂纹的存在所引起的圆柱壳结构的柔度以及裂纹撕裂条件下的极限承载能力等变化过程,弥补了这类工程问题解析解空缺的不足。     

Asymptotic analysis of transient curved crack in functionally graded materials

Transient mixed-mode elastodynamic crack growth along arbitrary smoothly varying paths in functionally graded materials (FGMs) is considered. The property gradation in FGMs is considered by varying shear modulus and mass density exponentially along the gradation direction. Crack tip out of plane displacement fields and their gradients are developed for propagating curved cracks of arbitrary velocity using asymptotic approach. The mode-mixity due to the inclination of curved crack with respect to property gradient is accommodated in the analysis through superposition of the opening and shear modes. The expansion of the displacement fields and their gradients around the crack-tip are derived in powers of radial coordinates with the coefficients of expansion depending on the instantaneous value of the local curvature of the crack path, time derivatives of crack-tip speed, and time derivative of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors. The effect of the transient terms instantaneous local curvature, crack-tip speed, time derivatives of crack-tip speed, and time derivative of mode-I and mode-II stress intensity factors on the contours of constant out of plane displacement are also discussed.     

Analysis on small scale bridging in fibrous monolithic ceramics

Based on shear lag model of interface between fiber and matrix, a new formula that relates the crack opening displacement and bridging force in fibrous monolithic ceramics was constructed under the framework of small scale bridging. This formula was applied to predict the fracture resistance orR-curve response of a three-point bending specimen made of fibrous monolithic ceramics. A parametric investigation on the influences of fiber volume fraction, fiber radius, characteristics of constituents, BN's fracture toughness and specimen's geometry on the bridging forces and fracture resistance in Si₃N₄/BN composite was carried out. The upper and lower limits of theR-curve of Si₃N₄/BN in small scale bridging were derived. This research revealed the role played by the above parameters in the fracture toughness of fibrous monolithic ceramics. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (59632090).     

Yielding from a crack with finite root-radius loaded in uniform tension

For the situation of plane strain, yielding from an embedded crack with finite root-radius and loaded in uniform tension has been studied. The plastic zone was represented by a coplanar array of edge dislocations and the equilibrium equations were solved numerically. Approximate analytical formulae for the dependence of the plastic-zone size and of the crack opening displacement on the ratio of the applied and friction stresses were constructed. A comparison of the results with those for the situation of anti-plane strain has been made and application of these results to the study of crack initiation from a blunt notch and of fracture toughness discussed.     

压电双材料界面钝裂纹附近螺型位错的屏蔽效应与发射条件

研究了压电双材料界面钝裂纹附近螺型位错的屏蔽效应与发射条件.应用保角变换技术,得到了复势函数与应力场的封闭形式解,讨论了位错方位、双材料电弹常数及裂纹钝化程度对位错屏蔽效应和发射条件的影响.结果表明,Burgers矢量为正的螺型位错可以降低界面钝裂纹尖端的应力强度因子(屏蔽效应),屏蔽效应随位错方位角及位错与裂纹尖端距...     

DYNAMIC CRACK MODELS ON PROBLEM OF BRIDGING FIBER PULL-OUT OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

An elastic analysis of an internal central crack with bridging fibers parallel to the free surface in an infinite orthotropic anisotropic elastic plane was performed. A dynamic model of bridging fiber pull-out of composite materials was presented. Resultingly the fiber failure is governed by maximum tensile stress, the fiber breaks and hence the crack extension should occur in self-similar fashion. By the methods of complex functions, the problem studied can be transformed into the dynamic model to the Reimann-Hilbert mixed boundary value problem, and a straightforward and easy analytical solution is presented. Analytical study on the crack propagation subjected to a ladder load and an instantaneous pulse loading is obtained respectively for orthotropic anisotropic body. By utilizing the solution, the concrete solutions of this model are attained by ways of superposition.     

Interfacial stresses in curved members bonded with a thin plate

The use of steel plates or externally bonded fibre-reinforced polymer laminates for flexural strengthening of concrete, masonry, timber or metallic structures is a technique that has become very popular. The effectiveness of this technique hinges heavily on the performance of the bond between the strengthening plate and the substrate, which has been the subject of many existing studies. In particular, the interfacial stresses between a beam and a soffit plate within the linear elastic range have been addressed by numerous analytical investigations. Surprisingly, none of these investigations has examined interfacial stresses in members with a curved soffit, despite that such members are often found in practice. This paper presents an analytical model for the interfacial stresses between a curved member of uniform section size and a thin plate bonded to its soffit. The governing differential equations for the interfacial shear and normal stresses are formulated and then solved with appropriate simplifying assumptions. Two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effect of the curvature of the member on the interfacial stress distributions in a simply supported curved beam for the two cases of a point load and a uniformly distributed load. The analytical solution is verified by comparing its predictions with those from a finite element model.