Experimental determination of Representative Volume Element (RVE) size in woven composites

A systematic approach is proposed to estimate the length scales of the representative volume element (RVE) in orthogonal plain woven composites. The approach is based on experimental full-field deformation measurements at mesoscopic scales. Stereovision digital image correlation (DIC) is conducted to determine the full-field strain distribution in on- and off-axis specimens loaded axially in tension. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to optimize the image correlation parameters. Using the optimized set of image correlation parameters, full-field strains are measured and used in conjunction with a simple strain averaging algorithm to identify the length scales at which globally applied and spatially-averaged local strains converge in values. The size of a virtual window containing local strain data, the average of which has the same value as the global strain, is identified as the RVE dimensions for the examined material. The smallest RVE sizes found in this work are shown to be both strain and angle dependent. The largest RVE dimension obtained is reported as a unique, strain and orientation insensitive RVE size for the woven composite examined.     

数字图像相关中基于位移场局部最小二乘拟合的全场应变测量

为了从含噪声的位移场中计算得到可靠的应变场,提出一种基于位移场局部最小二乘拟合的全场应变求解方法。介绍了数字图像相关方法的原理,阐述了基于位移场局部最小二乘拟合的全场应变求解方法,并讨论了计算区域边界、孔洞及裂纹附近区域等情况下的应变计算。对均匀变形和中心带圆孔的薄铝板拉伸实验的计算结果表明,该方法能有效地从原始位移场数据中提取全场应变信息。在均匀变形情况下应选择大的应变计算窗口,计算结果更逼近真值;在非均匀变形情况下,如果位移场中包含较强的噪声,则应选择较大的应变计算窗口,而位移场精度很高时可选择更小的应变计算窗口。     

Influence of the deformation type and medium on the mechanodynamic penetration of nitrogen molecules into surface layers of armco iron

The extraction of nitrogen molecules from deformed samples of armco iron with different initial structures (annealed and subjected to equal-channel angular pressing) and different deformation prehistories (deformation in liquid nitrogen at 77 K, rolling in air at room temperature, and their combination) has been studied. It has been shown that the preliminary deformation in liquid nitrogen increases its concentration in the surface layer of the material and shifts the principal peak of its release toward low temperatures during heating. The results are associated with the existence of different types of nitrogen traps in annealed and nanostructured armco iron and with their changes during subsequent deformation.     

BIAXIAL DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR OF PET DEPENDENT ON TEMPERATURE AND STRAIN RATE

Due to its material properties, PET is a very interesting and challenging material for thermoforming applications. During the thermoforming process it may be subjected to high deformations at elevated temperatures. Plug assisted deformation of PET was executed with a servo-hydraulic testing machine utilizing a special clamping device. The effect of strain induced crystallization for bi-axial deformation was investigated at different temperatures and strain rates. The influence on morphology and crystallization was investigated by x-ray diffraction and scattering as well as DSC measurements. The process of crystallization was investigated for different processing parameters. Although still transparent, the stretched PET has changed to a semi-crystalline material with distinct WAXD patterns known from uni-axial deformation.     

Virtual fields method coupled with moiré interferometry: Special considerations and application

The virtual fields method (VFM) is a novel highly efficient non-iterative tool for the identification of the constitutive parameters of materials. The VFM can obtain several constitutive parameters based on the full-field deformation of the specimen measured in a single test. However, the available results demonstrate that the accuracy of the identification result is strongly dependent on the quality of the deformation field, which is generally measured using optical methods. Especially, in the case where a small deformation is applied under elastic loading, the image noise and measurement error will exhibit a significant influence on the identification results. By combining the VFM with moiré interferometry (MI), a MI-based VFM is used to identify the parameters of an orthotropic linear elastic material. A numerical experiment is conducted to examine the feasibility of this method. From the analysis results, we determine that two factors exhibit an influence on the identification accuracy. The reinforcement direction of the orthotropic material is one factor, and the other is the noise in the deformation field. This MI-based VFM is then applied to determine the mechanical parameters of a unidirectional carbon fiber composite material. In the measurement, a three-point bending load is applied to the specimens. A high density grating with a frequency of 1200 line/mm grating is replicated on the specimen surface and used for measuring the in-plane deformation fields using a moiré interferometer. The obtained deformation fields are taken as the inputs of the VFM identification process, and the elastic properties of the materials are identified. The obtained results verify the advantage of the proposed method with respect to high accuracy and good noise immunity.     

The response of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) subjected to large strains,high strain rates,high pressures,a range in temperatures,and variations in the intermediate principal stress

This article presents the response of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) subjected to large strains, high strain rates, high pressures, a range in temperatures, and variations in the intermediate principal stress. Laboratory data from the literature, and new test data provided here, are used in the evaluation. The new data include uniaxial stress compression tests (at various strain rates and temperatures) and uniaxial stress tension tests (at low strain rates and ambient temperatures). The compression tests include experiments at ?ε= 13,000 s^?1, significantly extending the range of known strain rate data. The observed behavior of PMMA includes the following: it is brittle in compression at high rates, and brittle in tension at all rates; strength is dependent on the pressure, strain, strain rate, temperature, and the intermediate principal stress; the shear modulus increases as the pressure increases; and it is highly compressible. Also presented are novel, high velocity impact tests (using high-speed imaging) that provide insight into the initiation and evolution of damage. Lastly, computational constitutive models for pressure, strength, and failure are presented that provide responses that are in good agreement with the laboratory data. The models are used to compute several ballistic impact events for which experimental data are available.     

Prediction of flow stress and textures of AZ31 magnesium alloy at elevated temperature

The viscoplastic behaviour of magnesium alloys at high temperatures leads to highly temperature-dependent mechanical properties. While at high strain rates a notable strain hardening response is observed, at low strain rates the material shows a smooth plastic response with negligible amount of hardening. This complicated behaviour is due to different deformation mechanisms that are active at different strain rate regimes, resulting in different strain rate sensitivity parameters. In this study we show, by utilizing both numerical simulations and experiments, that this behaviour can be predicted by a model that combines two deformation mechanisms, grain boundary sliding mechanism and dislocation glide mechanism. We discuss the importance of each deformation mechanism at different strain rate regimes based on the findings of modelling and experimental results for AZ3 magnesium alloy. By developing a model that includes the above-mentioned two deformation mechanism, the prediction of flow properties is expanded to a wide range of strain rate regimes compared to previous study. The obtained numerical findings for the stress–strain behaviour as well as texture evolution show good agreement with the experimental results.     

Mechanical tests of the conduit tubes of a conductor for the Toroidal winding of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)

Extremely stringent requirements, which include the impact toughness at the liquid-helium temperature, are imposed on the material of the conduit tubes for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Toroidal Field (TF) conductors. Modified 316LN-IG stainless steel is recommended as the conduit tube material. Steel 316LN-IG tube samples (both full-size samples and sub-sized samples) are subjected to mechanical tests at various stages of the process of conductor production: in the as-recieved state and after compacting, preliminary elongation by 2.5% at room temperature, and annealing at 650°C for 200 h in a pure helium gas atmosphere. The tests are carried out at room, liquid nitrogen, and liquid helium temperatures and satisfy the standards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME and ASTM). The results of sub-size and full-size samples testing show that the last one gives more representative results to qualify the weld joints in liquid nitrogen. When the temperature decreases or the strain increases, the magnetization of the samples increases, especially in the weld area. Strain measurements with an extensometer demonstrate that the intracrystal processes occurring at the liquid-helium temperature can lead to a significant change in the local load, up to complete unloading in a deformation zone. Unusual local serrated deformation is observed with an extensometer installed in the weld area during tests in liquid helium: this deformation is the result of compressive jumps opposite to the loading direction.     

X-ray Diffraction and Calorimetric Study of Al-Cu Mixtures Subjected to Plastic Deformation under High Pressure

Aluminum-copper mixtures of various compositions are subjected to plastic deformation at room temperature and pressures from 1 to 5 GPa in a high-pressure apparatus of Bridgman anvil type. According to X-ray analysis, an ultradispersed structure with a coherent scattering region size of 10 to 20 nm is formed in the samples, with hardness of the material being as high as 530 kgf/mm². Differential scanning calorimetry measurements show that heating from 25 to 285°C induces exothermic process in the samples subjected to deformation with a specific enthalpy of 120 J/g.     

An experimental study of the mechanical behavior of frozen arteries at low temperatures

An experimental study of the mechanical response of frozen arteries to tensile stresses at low temperatures is presented. The Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer was used to perform the mechanical experiments. It was found that the frozen artery shows a kind of elastic-plasticity when the temperature is between -20 C and -40 C. And with the decrease of the temperature, the plasticity deformation decreases. Thus at the temperature of -120 C no plasticity deformation is observed before the artery's fracture and the tissue shows quite perfect elastic brittleness, both peripherally and axially. These kinds of mechanical characteristics help explain the fracture phenomena occurring during cryopreservation of the arteries. The mechanical properties, including elastic modulus and fracture strength, are also given. It is known that Cryoprotectant (CPA) used in cryopreservation is necessary in maintaining the tissue's biological functions. Our investigation of its effect on the artery's mechanical properties found that the existence of CPA can soften the tissue at low temperatures, thus may decrease the possibility of fractures during the cryopreservation.     

Spectroscopic identification of the reaction intermediates in the thermal decomposition of trimethylindium at GaAs(100) surfaces

High resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) has been used to study the adsorption and thermal decomposition of trimethylindium (TMIn) on Ga-terminated GaAs(100) surfaces. HREEL spectra recorded for adsorption at room temperature are dominated by strong CH₃ deformation and stretching modes and indicate that the surface species is based on methyl groups. The intensities of these bands decrease with increasing temperature consistent with a primary decomposition route involving the loss of CH₃ groups from the surface. A small upward shift in the frequency of the symmetric and asymmetric CH₃ deformation modes is also observed with increasing temperature and indicates that decomposition takes place via an exchange reaction in which CH₃ groups switch from In to Ga due to the stronger Ga-C bond. At temperatures greater than 350°C, the spectra are dominated by CH₂ rocking, deformation and stretching vibrations. The presence of a surface methylene species at elevated temperatures suggests a second, minority decomposition pathway which involves dehydrogenation of surface CH₃ groups to CH₂.     

Dynamic displacement field reconstruction through a limited set of measurements: Application to plates

The paper presents a procedure for the identification of the full-field dynamic response of a structure from a limited set of experimental measurements. An iterative technique based on modal decomposition maps the displacement field of the vibrating structure by using experimental data in conjunction with the numerical model of the considered structure. Algebraic relationships between experimental measurements and equivalent modal loads allow the identification of the full-field dynamic response from few experimental data. This procedure is detailed for a plate structure subjected to a harmonic concentrated load.     

Quantitative morphological evaluation of laser ablation on calculus using full-field optical coherence microscopy

The quantitative morphological evaluation at high resolution is of significance for the study of laser-tissue interaction. In this paper, a full-field optical coherence microscopy (OCM) system with high resolution of ∼2 μm was developed to investigate the ablation on urinary calculus by a free-running Er:YAG laser. We studied the morphological variation quantitatively corresponding to change of energy setting of the Er:YAG laser. The experimental results show that the full-field OCM enables quantitative evaluation of the morphological shape of craters and material removal, and particularly the fine structure. We also built a heat conduction model to simulate the process of laser-calculus interaction by using finite element method. Through the simulation, the removal region of the calculus was calculated according to the temperature distribution. As a result, the depth, width, volume, and the cross-sectional profile of the crater in calculus measured by full-field OCM matched well with the theoretical results based on the heat conduction model. Both experimental and theoretical results confirm that the thermal interaction is the dominant effect in the ablation of calculus by Er:YAG laser, demonstrating the effectiveness of full-field OCM in studying laser-tissue interactions.     

A composite model of the plastic flow of amorphous covalent materials

A model based on the data available in the literature on the computer simulation of amorphous silicon has been proposed for describing the specific features of the plastic flow of amorphous covalent materials. The mechanism of plastic deformation involves homogeneous nucleation and growth of inclusions of a liquidlike phase under external shear stress. Such inclusions experience plastic shear, which is modeled by glide dislocation loops. The energy changes associated with the nucleation of these inclusions at room and increased temperatures have been calculated. The critical stress has been found, at which the barrierless nucleation of inclusions becomes possible. It has been shown that this stress decreases with an increase in temperature. According to the calculations, the heterogeneous (homogeneous) plastic flow of an amorphous material should be expected at relatively low (high) temperatures. Above the critical stress, the homogeneous flow is gradually replaced by the heterogeneous flow.     

Characterizing and modeling the free recovery and constrained recovery behavior of a polyurethane shape memory polymer

In this work, tensile tests and one-dimensional constitutive modeling are performed on a high recovery force polyurethane shape memory polymer that is being considered for biomedical applications. The tensile tests investigate the free recovery (zero load) response as well as the constrained displacement recovery (stress recovery) response at extension values up to 25%, and two consecutive cycles are performed during each test. The material is observed to recover 100% of the applied deformation when heated at zero load in the second thermomechanical cycle, and a stress recovery of 1.5 MPa to 4.2 MPa is observed for the constrained displacement recovery experiments.After performing the experiments, the Chen and Lagoudas model is used to simulate and predict the experimental results. The material properties used in the constitutive model - namely the coefficients of thermal expansion, shear moduli, and frozen volume fraction - are calibrated from a single 10% extension free recovery experiment. The model is then used to predict the material response for the remaining free recovery and constrained displacement recovery experiments. The model predictions match well with the experimental data.     

Improbability of void growth in aluminum via dislocation nucleation under typical laboratory conditions

The rate at which dislocations nucleate from spherical voids subjected to shear loading is predicted from atomistic simulation. By employing the latest version of the finite temperature string method, a variational transition state theory approach can be utilized, enabling atomistic predictions at ordinary laboratory time scales, loads, and temperatures. The simulation results, in conjunction with a continuum model, show that the deformation and growth of voids in Al are not likely to occur via dislocation nucleation under typical loadings regardless of void size.     

Irradiation-induced void evolution in iron:A phase-field approach with atomistic derived parameters

A series of material parameters are derived from atomistic simulations and implemented into a phase field(PF) model to simulate void evolution in body-centered cubic(bcc) iron subjected to different irradiation doses at different temperatures.The simulation results show good agreement with experimental observations — the porosity as a function of temperature varies in a bell-shaped manner and the void density monotonically decreases with increasing temperatures; both porosity and void density increase with increasing irradiation dose at the same temperature. Analysis reveals that the evolution of void number and size is determined by the interplay among the production, diffusion and recombination of vacancy and interstitial.     

Shear Induced Crystallization,a Relaxation Phenomenon in Polymer Melts: A Re‐Collection

Thread‐like nuclei for the crystallization of polymers which are formed at high deformation rates in a temperature range close to the equilibrium melting point appear to be practically stable at temperatures where spherulites are melting. However, the fact that the great majority of experiments on flow induced crystallization have been carried out at temperatures below the melting temperature of the spherulites leads to the conclusion that the precursors for elongated structures, as formed under those conditions, are practically stable from the moment of their creation. In other words: their relaxation times are much longer than any deformation time applied. As a consequence, deformation times as independent parameters lose their importance in these experiments. Long lasting deformations under low stresses can yield the same precursors as short term deformations under high loads. Apparently the only condition is that the applied specific work is the same.     

Nonlinear response and avalanche behavior in metallic glasses

The response to different stress amplitudes at temperatures below the glass transition temperature is analyzed by mechanical oscillatory excitation of Pd₄₀Ni₄₀P₂₀ metallic glass samples in single cantilever bending geometry. While low amplitude oscillatory excitations are commonly used in mechanical spectroscopy to probe the relaxation spectrum, in this work the response to comparably high amplitudes is investigated. The strain response of the material is well below the critical yield stress even for highest stress amplitudes, implying the expectation of a linear relation between stress and strain according to Hooke’s Law. However, a deviation from the linear behavior is evident, which is analyzed in terms of temperature dependence and influence of the applied stress amplitude by two different approaches of evaluation. The nonlinear approach is based on a nonlinear expansion of the stress-strain-relation, assuming an intrinsic nonlinear character of the shear or elastic modulus. The degree of nonlinearity is extracted by a period-by-period Fourier-analysis and connected to nonlinear coefficients, describing the intensity of nonlinearity at the fundamental and higher harmonic frequencies. The characteristic timescale to adapt to a significant change in stress amplitude in terms of a recovery timescale to a steady state value is connected to the structural relaxation time of the material, suggesting a connection between the observed nonlinearity and primary relaxation processes. The second approach of evaluation is termed the incremental analysis and relates the observed response behavior to avalanches, which occur due to the activation and correlation of local microstructural rearrangements. These rearrangements are connected with shear transformation zones and correspond to localized plastic events, which are superimposed on the linear response behavior of the material.     

Digital speckle pattern interferometric (DSPI) and thermo-graphic investigations on the thermal responds in human teeth

Human dentine is a composite material made up of constituents of varying thermal properties, which when subjected to changes in temperature experiences complex thermal effects. In this study, the response of functionally adapted dentine to temperature changes in physiological range is analyzed using a digital speckle pattern interferometer (DSPI) and thermography in conjunction with an advanced digital fringe processing technique. The advanced digital fringe processing is conducted using an asymmetric and central peak Gaussian filter, in order to remove noise and, subsequently, enhance the quality of the images. This investigation demonstrates the responds of functionally adapted dentine to temperature changes in its own plane and out of plane. Distinct pattern of out-of-plane and in-plane displacement was observed on the dentine by the DSPI analysis. The thermo-graphic analysis was used to rationalize the above nature of deformation in the dentine. These analyses showed that the inner, cervical dentine exhibited conspicuous deformation at the maximum temperature rise and equilibrated last during temperature drop.