The effect of notches on the fracture behavior in NiTi shape memory alloys

Tensile fracture experiments have been performed on double-notch plate form specimens with different notch types and sizes. Specimen without notch is also studied. The macro-mechanical responses as well as detail examination of the fracture surface have been carried out. The stress, plastic strain and phase transformation fields are analyzed by finite element (FE) simulations using a pseudoelastic constitutive model which considers the permanent plastic deformation. Experimental results show that different type of notches can influence not only the macro-mechanic pseudoelastic but also plastic behaviors of the specimens. Both notch type and notch size affect the mechanism of crack initiation. Notch size influences the specimen behavior in different way for different type of notches. Most of the experimental observations are interpreted properly by the FE results.     

High temperature sensitivity of notched AISI 304L stainless steel tests

Experiments were designed to determine the failure characteristics of AISI 304L stainless steel under different stress triaxialities and temperatures up to 70% of melt. The data show that as temperature increases the displacement to failure of notched tensile specimens increases. The complex interaction of deformation mechanisms, such as twinning and dynamic recrystallization, appears to negate the damage accumulation at higher temperatures. Microstructural analyses and finite element simulations indicate that voids nucleate, grow, and coalesce more rapidly as temperature and triaxiality increase. Finite element simulations were performed to analyze temperature dependence on the Cocks–Ashby void growth model. The finite element simulations qualitatively show a double-knee that was observed in the notched experimental specimens after loading. The combined experimental–numerical study indicates that failure can be defined at several points in the notch tests when: (1) macrovoids starts to form, (2) the load drop-off occurs, and (3) total perforation of the specimen occurs. These three points occur simultaneously in ambient conditions but occur at different displacements at higher temperatures.     

Mixed mode (I and II) crack tip fields in bulk metallic glasses

Stationary crack tip fields in bulk metallic glasses under mixed mode (I and II) loading are studied through detailed finite element simulations assuming plane strain, small scale yielding conditions. The influence of internal friction or pressure sensitivity on the plastic zones, notch deformation, stress and plastic strain fields is examined for different mode mixities. Under mixed mode loading, the notch deforms into a shape such that one part of its surface sharpens while the other part blunts. Increase in mode II component of loading dramatically enhances the normalized plastic zone size, lowers the stresses but significantly elevates the plastic strain levels near the notch tip. Higher internal friction reduces the peak tangential stress but increases the plastic strain and stretching near the blunted part of the notch. The simulated shear bands are straight and extend over a long distance ahead of the notch tip under mode II dominant loading. The possible variations of fracture toughness with mode mixity corresponding to failure by brittle micro-cracking and ductile shear banding are predicted employing two simple fracture criteria. The salient results from finite element simulations are validated by comparison with those from mixed mode (I and II) fracture experiments on a Zr-based bulk metallic glass.     

The mechanical strength of polysilicon films: Part 2. Size effects associated with elliptical and circular perforations

A systematic study of failure initiation in small-scale specimens has been performed to assess the effect of size scale on “failure properties” by drawing on the classical analysis of elliptically perforated specimens. Limitations imposed by photolithography restricted the minimum radii of curvature of the specimen perforations to one micron. By varying the radius of curvature and the size of the ellipses, the effects of domain size and stress concentration amplitude could be assessed separately to the point where the size of individual grains becomes important. The measurements demonstrate a strong influence of the domain size under elevated stress on the “failure strength” of MEMS scale specimens, while the amplitude, or the variation, of the stress concentration factor is less significant. In agreement with probabilistic considerations of failure, the “local failure strength” at the root of a notch clearly increases as the radius of curvature becomes smaller. Accordingly, the statistical scatter also increases with decreasing size of the (super)stressed domain. When the notch radius becomes as small as the failure stress increases on average by a factor of two relative to the tension values derived from unnotched specimens. This effect becomes moderate for larger radii of curvature, up to a radius of (25 times the grain size), for which the failure stress at the notch tip closely approaches the value of the tensile strength for un-notched tensile configurations. We deduce that standard tests, performed on micron-sized, non-perforated, tension specimens, provide conservative strength values for design purposes. In addition, a Weibull analysis shows for surface-micromachined specimens a dependence of the strength on the specimen length, rather than the surface area or volume, which implies that the sidewall geometry, dimensions and surface conditions can dominate the failure process.     

Notch sensitivity in nanoscale metallic glass specimens: Insights from continuum simulations

Recent experiments have shown that nano-sized metallic glass (MG) specimens subjected to tensile loading exhibit increased ductility and work hardening. Failure occurs by necking as opposed to shear banding which is seen in bulk samples. Also, the necking is generally observed at shallow notches present on the specimen surface. In this work, continuum finite element analysis of tensile loading of nano-sized notched MG specimens is conducted using a thermodynamically consistent non-local plasticity model to clearly understand the deformation behavior from a mechanics perspective. It is found that plastic zone size in front of the notch attains a saturation level at the stage when a dominant shear band forms extending across the specimen. This size scales with an intrinsic material length associated with the interaction stress between flow defects. A transition in deformation behavior from quasi-brittle to ductile becomes possible when this critical plastic zone size is larger than the uncracked ligament length. These observations corroborate with atomistic simulations and experimental results.     

Computational nanoscale plasticity simulations using embedded atom potentials

In determining structure–property relations for plasticity at different size scales, it is desired to bridge concepts from the continuum to the atom. This raises many questions related to volume averaging, appropriate length scales of focus for an analysis, and postulates in continuum mechanics. In a preliminary effort to evaluate bridging size scales and continuum concepts with descritized phenomena, simple shear molecular dynamics simulations using the Embedded Atom Method (EAM) potentials were performed on single crystals. In order to help evaluate the continuum quantities related to the kinematic and thermodynamic force variables, finite element simulations (with different material models) and macroscale experiments were also performed. In this scoping study, various parametric effects on the stress state and kinematics have been quantified. The parameters included the following: crystal orientation (single slip, double slip, quadruple slip, octal slip), temperature (300 and 500 K), applied strain rate (10⁶–10¹² s⁻¹), specimen size (10 atoms to 2 μm), specimen aspect ratio size (1:8–8:1), deformation path (compression, tension, simple shear, and torsion), and material (nickel, aluminum, and copper). Although many conclusions can be drawn from this work, which has provided fodder for more studies, several major conclusions can be drawn.

• The yield stress is a function of a size scale parameter (volume-per-surface area) that was determined from atomistic simulations coupled with experiments. As the size decreases, the yield stress increases.

• Although the thermodynamic force (stress) varies at different size scales, the kinematics of deformation appears to be very similar based on atomistic simulations, finite element simulations, and physical experiments.

Atomistic simulations, that inherently include extreme strain rates and size scales, give results that agree with the phenomenological attributes of plasticity observed in macroscale experiments. These include strain rate dependence of the flow stress into a rate independent regime; approximate Schmid type behavior; size scale dependence on the flow stress, and kinematic behavior of large deformation plasticity.     

Void nucleation and growth in mineral-filled PVC – An experimental and numerical study

The nucleation and growth of voids in mineral-filled PVC have been investigated through experimental and numerical studies. Uniaxial tensile specimens were deformed in tension to different elongation levels and then unloaded. The macroscopic strain fields were recorded by use of digital image correlation. After the test, the microstructure of the deformed specimens was investigated in a scanning electron microscope. It was found that the observed volume strain on the macroscale is related to void growth on the microscale. In addition, finite element simulations were performed on unit cell models representing the microstructure of the material in a simplified manner. The numerical simulations demonstrate macroscopic dilation as a result of void growth. Moreover, the numerical simulations indicate that the experimentally observed stress-softening response of the PVC composite material may result from matrix-particle debonding.     

Estimation of deformation behavior of TRIP steels — smooth/ringed-notched specimens under monotonic and cyclic loading

Uniaxial tension tests were performed under a constant strain rate and various environmental temperatures from 77 to 373 K to identify the concrete form of the constitutive equation for TRIP steels. To elucidate the dependence of the martensitic transformation on the nonuniform deformation and to validate the proposed constitutive equation, the volume fraction of the martensite phase is predicted and measured using computational simulation and experimental procedures, respectively, for the uniaxial tension of bars with a ringed notch. The good correspondence between the local volume fraction of the martensite phase around the notch, obtained by both methods, verifies the validity of the proposed constitutive equation for the nonuniform deformation behavior. Subsequently, the computational simulations were performed to elucidate the deformation behavior of ringed-notched bars under compression and that of smooth/ringed-notched bars under cyclic loading.     

Q235钢缺口试样拉压低循环疲劳的实验研究

以Q235钢制U型缺口板试样为研究对象,用有限元方法计算其缺口根部等效应变幅对应的试样标距段位移,以此控制试验机进行拉压循环疲劳试验。然后用局部应力应变法对试验测得的寿命结果进行分析。结果表明：无论用有限元还是修正Neuber公式计算缺口根部的应力应变,局部应力应变法的疲劳寿命评估只适用于缺口半径较大的试样;对缺口半径较小试样的估计寿命明显低于实测值,且有限元法比修正Neuber法更保守。进而又对试样缺口区域应变梯度的影响进行了探讨：参照有限元计算的应变梯度,利用Taylor模型估算了缺口根部的屈服应力和流动应力;在此基础上重新计算应变分布并估计试样的疲劳寿命,结果证实考虑应变梯度影响可改善缺口试样的疲劳寿命估计。     

An analysis of ductile rupture in notched bars

Ductile fracture in axisymmetric and plane strain notched tensile specimens is analyzed numerically, based on a set of elastic-plastic constitutive relations that account for the nucleation and growth of microvoids. Final material failure by void coalescence is incorporated into the constitutive model via the dependence of the yield function on the void volume fraction. In the analyses the material has no voids initially; but as the voids nucleate and grow, the resultant dilatancy and pressure sensitivity of the macroscopic plastic flow influence the solution significantly. Considering both a blunt notch geometry and a sharp notch geometry in the computations permits a study of the relative roles of high strain and high triaxiality on failure. Comparison is made with published experimental results for notched tensile specimens of high-strength steels. All axisymmetric specimens analyzed fail at the center of the notched section, whereas failure initiation at the surface is found in plane strain specimens with sharp notches, in agreement with the experiments. The results for different specimens are used to investigate the circumstances under which fracture initiation can be represented by a single failure locus in a plot of stress triaxiality vs effective plastic strain.     

Adiabatic shear localization in the impact of edge-notched specimens

Impact experiments are performed on edgenotched specimens in the two-dimensional punch geometry. Materials tested include 18Ni(350) maraging steel; S7 tool steel; 4340, 300M, HP 9-4-20 and D-6ac ultra high-strength steels; and Ti6Al4V alloy. These materials have shown a high susceptibility to dynamic shear failure in previous studies. Impact velocity ranged from 25 m/s to 45 m/s, and shear bands were found to form at the notch tip and at the die corner on the back side of the specimen for all materials tested. Metallurgical analysis confirms the existence of adiabatic shear bands followed by a crack propagating through the fully developed shear band. High-speed photography was used to observe the initiation of adiabatic shear bands shortly after impact. Laser-etched lines on the specimen surfaces allowed the determination of the time of impact and the initiation time of shear failure. The elapsed time between the two was used to estimate the stress intensity factor at the time of shear band initiation. Comparisons of shear band initiation stress intensity factors at the notch tip and die corner are made. It is seen that the shear bands initiate at approximately the same stress intensity factor at both the notch tip and die corner. Finite element simulations support the use of a square root singularity for the stress in the plate near the corners of a deformable punch or die.     

Evaluation of nonlocal approaches for modelling fracture near nonconvex boundaries

Integral-type nonlocal damage models describe the fracture process zones by regular strain profiles insensitive to the size of finite elements, which is achieved by incorporating weighted spatial averages of certain state variables into the stress–strain equations. However, there is no consensus yet how the influence of boundaries should be taken into account by the averaging procedures. In the present study, nonlocal damage models with different averaging procedures are applied to the modelling of fracture in specimens with various boundary types. Firstly, the nonlocal models are calibrated by fitting load–displacement curves and dissipated energy profiles for direct tension to the results of mesoscale analyses performed using a discrete model. These analyses are set up so that the results are independent of boundaries. Then, the models are applied to two-dimensional simulations of three-point bending tests with a sharp notch, a V-type notch, and a smooth boundary without a notch. The performance of the nonlocal approaches in modelling of fracture near nonconvex boundaries is evaluated by comparison of load–displacement curves and dissipated energy profiles along the beam ligament with the results of meso-scale simulations. As an alternative approach, elastoplasticity combined with nonlocal and over-nonlocal damage is also included in the comparative study.     

Hybrid experimental–numerical analysis of basic ductile fracture experiments for sheet metals

A basic ductile fracture testing program is carried out on specimens extracted from TRIP780 steel sheets including tensile specimens with a central hole and circular notches. In addition, equi-biaxial punch tests are performed. The surface strain fields are measured using two- and three-dimensional digital image correlation. Due to the localization of plastic deformation during the testing of the tensile specimens, finite element simulations are performed of each test to obtain the stress and strain histories at the material point where fracture initiates. Error estimates are made based on the differences between the predicted and measured local strains. The results from the testing of tensile specimens with a central hole as well as from punch tests show that equivalent strains of more than 0.8 can be achieved at approximately constant stress triaxialities to fracture of about 0.3 and 0.66, respectively. The error analysis demonstrates that both the equivalent plastic strain and the stress triaxiality are very sensitive to uncertainties in the experimental measurements and the numerical model assumptions. The results from computations with very fine solid element meshes agree well with the experiments when the strain hardening is identified from experiments up to very large strains.     

Effect of ferritic microstructure on local damage zone distance associated with fracture near notch

A deterministic approach is used to analyze cleavage failure near the notch root by application of a local fracture criterion. Micromechanism of fracture is assessed using finite element calculations. Two ferritic microstructures have been selected; they differ significantly in the carbide thickness as the fracture data scattered widely. Local damage zones are calculated from the normal stress distributions and compared with those from the notch root to the location of failure initiation. To this end, the static three-point bend Charpy V-notch specimens were used. Microfractography identifies the local damage zone distances and their locations with reference to the prevailing microstructures.     

A void nucleation and growth based damage framework to model failure initiation ahead of a sharp notch in irradiated bcc materials

A continuum damage framework is developed and coupled with an existing crystal plasticity framework, to model failure initiation in irradiated bcc polycrystalline materials at intermediate temperatures. Constitutive equations for vacancy generation due to inelastic deformation, void nucleation due to vacancy condensation, and diffusion-assisted void growth are developed. The framework is used to simulate failure initiation at dislocation channel interfaces and grain boundaries ahead of a sharp notch. Evolution of the microstructure is considered in terms of the evolution of inelastic deformation, vacancy concentration, and void number density and radius. Evolution of the damage, i.e., volume fraction of the voids, is studied as a function of applied deformation. Effects of strain rate and temperature on failure initiation are also studied. The framework is used to compute the fracture toughness of irradiated specimens for various loading histories and notch geometries. Crack growth resistance of the irradiated specimens are computed and compared to that of virgin specimens. Results are compared to available experimental data.     

In-plane biaxial crushing of honeycombs—: Part II: Analysis

The in-plane biaxial crushing experiments on polycarbonate honeycomb presented in Part I are simulated using large scale finite element models. The models account for nonlinearities in geometry and due to contact while the polycarbonate is modeled as an elastic-powerlaw viscoplastic solid. Full-scale simulations of the uniaxial crushing of this honeycomb were shown in the past to reproduce experiments with accuracy. In biaxial crushing, it was not practical to model specimens the same size as those in the experiments due to computational limitations; instead, a smaller model with 10×11 cells was adopted. Results from simulations of seven of the crushing experiments in Part I with various biaxiality ratios are presented. Through parametric studies it is demonstrated that the size of the specimen and friction between the specimen and the loading surfaces affect the initial elastic parts of the stress–displacement responses and the onset of instability. By contrast, for average crushing strains higher than approximately 10%, their effect was relatively small and the calculated responses were in good agreement with the experimental ones. As a consequence, the energy absorption capacity was predicted to good accuracy for all biaxiality ratios. In addition, many of the modes of cell collapse seen in the experiment are reproduced in the simulations.     

Notch strengthening in titanium aluminides under monotonic loading

An important concern for titanium aluminides is their limited ductility and its consequences for TiAl components containing stress concentrators. In recent experiments, evidence of notch strengthening has been found in one TiAl alloy under monotonic loading. The goal of this study is to fully explore this issue through tests on two cast alloys, one with a microstructure consisting of predominantly equiaxed gamma grains and the other having a fully lamellar microstructure. Tests involve monotonic tensile loading of notched specimens at room temperature under conditions of plane stress, where the notch radii are large relative to grain size. For each material, results from the testing of three notched specimen geometries are presented and finite element models are used to interpret the test results. This includes using the numerical models to apply Weibull statistical methods to predict notch strengthening in the specimens. It is shown that notch strengthening is clearly seen in both alloys tested and thus is likely to be a characteristic of TiAl alloys in general; however, strengthening is not as great as would be predicted by Weibull statistical methods as applied to brittle materials.     

The influence of adhesive constitutive parameters in cohesive zone finite element models of adhesively bonded joints

The influence of adhesive parameters on the outcome of cohesive zone finite element simulations is reported. The simulations are of adhesively bonded joint configurations that are used to characterize joint performance (including the double cantilever beam, the end notch flexure, and the single lap joint). The coupon level experiments are often used individually to determine a single parameter in an adhesive constitutive model (such as a cohesive strength or toughness). In this study, the influence of strength, toughness, and other parameters are considered simultaneously in examining their effect on the finite element (FE) output for each test. In specifying input parameters, the assumed shape of the cohesive traction law is also considered. It is shown that the double cantilever beam model output is dependent primarily on one parameter, whereas the end notch flexure and single lap joint models are dependent on multiple adhesive parameters. By extension, these dependencies require consideration when mapping the results of physical experiments into a set of adhesive model inputs. It is also shown that the shape of the traction law appears insignificant to the outcome of the models. Sensitivities to input parameters are illuminated through kriging analysis of the finite element results; the parameter values are chosen via Latin hypercube sampling. Surrogate models are created and are used to quantify the sensitivities. A mapping technique is described for evaluating the output of physical tests.     

Plasticity and fracture of martensitic boron steel under plane stress conditions

Two series of multiaxial experiments are performed to characterize the mechanical behavior of a hot formed martensitic 22MnB5 boron steel. In the first series, flat specimens of uniform cross-section are subjected to various combinations of tensile and shear loading to characterize the elasto-plastic response. Butterfly-shaped specimens of non-uniform cross-section are used for the second series to study the onset of fracture in the martensitic steel. It is found from the analysis of the experimental results that the planar isotropic Hill’48 yield function along with an associated flow rule provides good estimates of the stress–strain response over a wide range of loading paths. The fracture experiments demonstrate that the crack initiation depends strongly on the loading state. A simple stress triaxiality dependent phenomenological fracture model is calibrated to describe the onset of fracture. Using the proposed plasticity and fracture model, numerical simulations of the fracture of tensile specimens of different notch radii are performed and compared with experiments.     

Influence of Specimen Geometry on the Estimation of the Planar Biaxial Mechanical Properties of Cruciform Specimens

It is in general challenging to characterize planar mechanical properties of extremely soft tissues such as cell-seeded collagen gels. One of the difficulties is related to premature failure of specimens. This issue may be resolved by employing fillets on stress-concentrated spots of the specimen. The existence of fillets, however, complicates the estimation of stress at the center of the specimen where stiffness data are collected. In this study, cruciform rubber specimens with two types of fillets (general vs. cut-in fillets) at the intersections of perpendicular arms were prepared and subjected to planar biaxial mechanical testing, aiming at investigating how the fillets affect the estimation of mechanical properties of cruciform specimens. Digital image correlation was used to analyze full-field deformation in the central region of the specimens. Finite element analysis with a Neo-Hookean model was performed to simulate the full-field deformation under the same experimental boundary conditions. The strain distribution for each specimen geometry obtained by finite element analysis was found to be in good agreement with that analyzed by digital image correlation, validating the finite element models. Finite element simulation showed that the greatest value of the maximum principal strain decreased with increasing the fillet radius regardless of the fillet type. Increasing the fillet radius, in general, also reduced the strain field uniformity in the central region. Compared with general fillets, however, the use of cut-in fillets provided greater strain field uniformity given the same fillet radius. Finite element analysis was also used to estimate effective transverse length required to convert tensile force at the boundary to local stress at the center. It was found that the effective transverse length for each specimen geometry remained relatively constant if the specimen was not excessively deformed (i.e., global equibiaxial stretch ≤ 1.2). We suggest using cut-in fillets at the intersections of perpendicular arms when preparing cruciform specimens for testing extremely soft tissues.