Mechanisms of stress transfer and interface integrity in carbon/epoxy composites under compression loading. Part II: Numerical approach

The finite element method is used to get an insight into the micromechanics of the compressive behaviour of carbon fibre composites. First the developed model is validated with existing experimental data and good agreement between predictions and experiments was found. Then the FE model is used to derive the complete stress field in the fibre and the matrix in the vicinity of a fibre fracture location. It was found that the perturbation of the stress field occurs mainly in the direction transverse to the fibre axis and this could explain the failure modes observed in composites tested in compression. Finally, a parametric study was performed on the effect of matrix modulus and matrix yield stress on the compressive fragmentation process.     

碳布叠层/碳复合材料动态压缩性能测试研究

利用带有波形整形器的Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar(SHPB)技术测试了碳布叠层/碳复合材料在应变率为500、1 500 s-1时的动态压缩性能。研究结果表明:利用轧制紫铜作为整形器材料不仅可以有效地实现对碳布叠层/碳复合材料的常应变率压缩加载，而且有助于改善试样两端的应力平衡，从而保证测试数据的可靠性；此外，与准静态压缩相比较，在动态压缩载荷下，碳布叠层/碳复合材料的压缩强度有较强的应变率效应，且复合材料压缩强度的动态增加函数可以用Cowper-Symonds幂函数的形式来表示。     

Creep of composites with a porous fibre/matrix interface under variable loading

A micromechanical model of island-type fibre/matrix interface is described and experimental data are represented and analysed. Changes in the interface strength during a cycle loadings and, correspondingly, changes in the creep resistance of a composite due the island-like scheme of the fibre/matrix interface are described.     

Thermal effects on interfacial stress transfer characteristics of carbon nanotubes/polymer composites

The paper presents an analytical method to investigate thermal effects on interfacial stress transfer characteristics of single/multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polymer composites system under thermal loading by means of thermoelastic theory and conventional fiber pullout models. In example calculations, the mechanical properties and the thermal expansion coefficients of carbon nanotubes and polymer matrix are, respectively, treated as the functions of temperature change. Numerical examples show that the interfacial shear stress transfer behavior can be described and affected by several parameters such as the temperature field, volume fraction of CNT, and numbers of wall layer and the outermost radius of carbon nanotubes. From the results carried out it is found that mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients between the carbon nanotubes and polymer matrix may be more important in governing interfacial stress transfer characteristics of carbon nanotubes/polymer composite system.     

Three-dimensional stress analysis of textile composites: Part I. Numerical analysis

Three-dimensional stress analysis in a unit-cell of a plain-woven composite was performed by using B-spline displacement approximation. The spline approximation provides continuity of displacement and stress components within each yarn and matrix subregion. Two types of unit-cell problems with and without inter-yarn delamination were considered. A penalty function approach along with a contact surface characteristic function was used to obtain a full-field numerical solution for the frictionless contact problem between delaminated yarn surfaces.Yarn interfaces at yarn-crossover locations represent three-material wedge-type regions resulting in singular stress behavior. In the case of unit-cells with perfect bonding between the yarn interfaces, the numerical values of the inter-yarn normal stress did not exhibit trends typical for unbounded stress behavior, whereas the inter-yarn shear stress components displayed discontinuous behavior typical for numerical results in the vicinity of the stress singularity. In the presence of the delamination, both the inter-yarn normal and shear stress components exhibited unbounded behavior near the singularity. Notably, the inter-yarn normal stress showed signs of singular behavior in both cases of open and closed delaminations. Due to the stress singularity that exists at yarn-crossover locations containing three materials (yarn–yarn–matrix) interface intersections, the full-field numerical solution, even with high-order approximation functions, was not able to capture the directional nonuniqueness of the stress values in the vicinity of the singularity, and therefore calls for incorporation of the asymptotic singular stress analysis, which will be given in a follow-on paper [Sihn and Roy, International Journal of Solids and Structures (accepted for publication)].     

Mechanism of shear attenuation near the interface under combined compression and shear impact loading

We investigate the compressional/shear coupling plastic wave propagation characteristics analytically for ideal elastic–plastic materials in both stress and particle velocity spaces, focusing on the shear wave attenuation near the interface occurring in pressure–shear plate impact experiments. The results show that the shear attenuation is strongly associated with the wave propagation characteristics of the coupling waves. In the stress space, as the shear stress increases, an adjustment of the stress components is observed and the final stress state along the wave path is a combined pure shear- and hydrostatic pressure-state. In the particle velocity space, the wave structures with different loading and maximal transverse particle velocity are obtained. The maximal transverse particle velocity varies with the longitudinal velocity and forms a boundary line. Once the loading transverse velocity exceeds this line, a transverse particle velocity discontinuity occurs at the impact interface. If the bonding strength is sufficiently high, there will be a shear band in the target in the extreme vicinity of the interface.     

Modelling of progressive interface failure under combined normal compression and shear stress

The present work is concerned with an analysis of progressive interface failure under normal compressive stress and varying shear stress using the cohesive crack model. The softening model is assumed and frictional linear stress at contact is accounted for. A monotonic loading in anti-plane shear of an elastic plate bonded to a rigid substrate is considered. An analytical solution is obtained by neglecting the effect of minor shear stress component in the plate. The elastic and plate interface compliances are included into the analysis. Three types of solutions are distinguished in the progressive delamination analysis, namely short, medium and long plate solutions. The analysis of quasi-static progressive delamination process clarifies the character of critical points and post-critical response of the plate. The analytical solution provides a reference benchmark for numerical algorithms of analysis of progressive interface delamination. The case of a rigid–softening interface was treated in a companion paper, where also cyclic loading was considered.     

Shock enhancement of cellular structures under impact loading: Part I Experiments

This paper aims at showing experimental proof of the existence of a shock front in cellular structures under impact loading, especially at low critical impact velocities around 50 m/s. First, an original testing procedure using a large diameter Nylon Hopkinson bar is introduced. With this large diameter soft Hopkinson bar, tests under two different configurations (pressure bar behind/ahead of the supposed shock front) at the same impact speed are used to obtain the force/time histories behind and ahead of the assumed shock front within the cellular material specimen.Stress jumps (up to 60% of initial stress level) as well as shock front speed are measured for tests at 55 m/s on Alporas foams and nickel hollow sphere agglomerates, whereas no significant shock enhancement is observed for Cymat foams and 5056 aluminium honeycombs. The corresponding rate sensitivity of the studied cellular structures is also measured and it is proven that it is not responsible for the sharp strength enhancement.A photomechanical measurement of the shock front speed is also proposed to obtain a direct experimental proof. The displacement and strain fields during the test are obtained by correlating images shot with a high speed camera. The strain field measurements at different times show that the shock front discontinuity propagates and allows for the measurement of the propagation velocity.All the experimental evidences enable us to confirm the existence of a shock front enhancement even at quite low impact velocities for a number of studied materials.     

Experimental and analytical characterization of multidimensionally braided graphite/epoxy composites

This paper presents results of an investigation of a novel, through-the-thickness fiber-reinforced composite material. The generic name for this composite technology is multidimensional (X-D) braiding. X-D braided composites consist of a net-shaped, densely braided fiber skeleton which is rigidized with a structural epoxy-resin system. This material is an alternative to the conventional laminated composite and has the potential for being more resistant to delamination and matrix cracking. This paper describes results of the mechanical characterization of one graphite fiber system which was braided into panels in which two braid parameters could be investigated. The variables investigated included the effect of edge condition and braid pattern on the tensile, compressive and flexural properties of the braided panels. These properties were obtained in the braid direction only. The cutting of the specimen edges substantially reduced both tensile and flexural strengths and moduli. Of the three braid patterns investigated, 1×1, 3×1, and 1×1×1/2 F, the 3×1 braid pattern showed superior tensile performance, while the 1×1×1/2 F braid pattern exhibited superior flexural properties. The development of an analytical method for modeling the tensile performance of the multidimensionally (X-D) braided composite is also presented. The fiber geometry in X-D braids was modeled based on the braid parameters used in the construction of these composites. By the nature of the symmetry of the resulting braided structure, an analytical model based on classical lamination theory was used to determine the extensional stiffness in the three principal geometric directions of a braided composite. These analytical results are shown to compare favorably with those obtained experimentally. Finally, to further validate the ability of this material to contain damage, multidimensionally braided and conventionally laminated panels were impacted and the resulting damage was nondestructively determined. The multidimensionally braided material was shown to reduce the area of damage caused by impact by a factor of three for the energy levels tested.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of inclined air/SF6 interface instability under shock wave

The shock tube experiments of inclined air/SF6 interface instability under the shock wave with the Mach numbers 1.23 and 1.41 are conducted. The numerical simulation is done with the parallel algorithm and the multi-viscous-fluid and turbulence (MVFT) code of the large-eddy simulation (LES). The developing process of the interface accelerated by the shock wave is reproduced by the simulations. The complex wave structures, e.g., the propagation, refraction, and reflection of the shock wave, are clearly revealed in the flows. The simulated evolving images of the interface are consistent with the experimental ones. The simulated width of the turbulent mixing zone (TMZ) and the displacements of the bubble and the spike also agree well with the experimental data. Also, the reliability and effectiveness of the MVFT in simulating the problem of interface instability are validated. The more energies are injected into the TMZ when the shock wave has a larger Mach number. Therefore, the perturbed interface develops faster.     

压剪复合冲击下氧化铝陶瓷的剪切响应实验研究

通过对92.93%氧化铝陶瓷进行倾斜板碰撞实验,研究了多晶陶瓷材料在压剪复合冲击下的非弹性变形响应和剪切波传播规律。压剪复合冲击实验由57 mm开槽气体炮驱动铜飞片对陶瓷靶板加载,通过试件内埋植的电磁速度计来测量内部质点速度历程。将纵向粒子速度从感应电动势曲线中分离后得到横向粒子速度历程,发现在压剪复合冲击下由于材料剪切刚度的降低而引起的剪切波衰减。冲击软回收试件的扫描电子显微镜（SEM）观察表明,冲击载荷低于屈服强度时,多晶氧化铝陶瓷中存在沿晶界、气孔的微裂纹成核与扩展,在高于屈服强度的冲击加载下进一步产生了穿晶微裂纹,微裂纹系统导致了材料在卸载后的显著的体积膨胀。     

On the evolution of isotropic and kinematic hardening with finite plastic deformation Part I: compression/tension loading of OFHC copper cylinders

Compression tests followed by tension tests after re-machining were performed on annealed oxygen-free-high-conductivity copper cylinders. These tests were conducted at nine levels of maximum strain ranging from 5 to 50%. From this data, isotropic and kinematic hardening were calculated using 50, 1000 and 2000 microstrain offset definitions. Both isotropic and kinematic hardening were found to depend on the yield definition. Isotropic hardening, which increased with plastic strain with no signs of saturation, also increased with larger offset definition of yield. Kinematic hardening, which increased to 40% strain and appeared to saturate thereafter, decreased with higher offset definitions of yield.     

Part 1: Experimental techniques in the field of pipeline integrity

Experimental Techniques -     

Process zone in the Single Cantilever Beam under transverse loading - Part II: Experimental

This paper describes an experimental arrangement to evaluate stress/strain fields in the process zone of asymmetric adhesively bonded joints. A transparent polycarbonate flexible beam was bonded to an aluminium alloy rigid block with an epoxy adhesive in a Single Cantilever Beam (SCB) configuration. The flexible adherend was loaded in the direction parallel to the initial crack front at constant rate. To monitor strains induced by bending and shear along the beam, electric strain gauges were attached to the upper surface of the flexible adherend. Thus strain distribution was measured above the bonded surface, which could be used to monitor crack propagation and investigate stress redistribution in the process zone. A Timoshenko beam lying on a Pasternak elastic foundation model was used for the analysis of experimental findings. Subsequently, the Digital Image Correlation technique was used to measure the flexible substrate in-plane displacement field in the vicinity of the crack front and to assess the specimen kinematics. We found that strain gauge instrumentation of the fracture mechanics specimen was a very sensitive technique for experimental analysis of crack propagation under complex loading, offering fine investigation of stress distribution in the cohesive zone.     

Inelastic behavior of an AS4/PEEK composite under combined transverse compression and shear. Part I: experiments

The nonlinear behavior in shear and transverse compression of unidirectional AS4/PEEK and their interaction are investigated experimentally. The composite is rate dependent even at room temperature and its rate exponent is similar to that of neat PEEK. The material is tested under pure shear, pure compression and under biaxial loading histories. The biaxial tests are performed in a custom facility on thin strips of the material. The facility allows freedom to choose the loading path in the biaxial stress and strain spaces of interest. Tests are performed for three biaxial loading paths. In the first, the specimen is sheared then compressed while the shear stress is held constant; in the second, the specimen is compressed then sheared while the compressive stress is held constant; and in the third, the specimen is loaded simultaneously by proportional amounts of compression and shear. It was found that the induced deformation is influenced significantly by the loading history followed. Also, initial loading in shear or compression has only a modest effect on subsequent loading of the other type. An unorthodox yielding behavior for the composite results from this lack of interaction. Finally, the stresses at failure are found to trace an elliptical path in the shear–transverse compression plane, but the failure stress state is not significantly affected by the loading path followed.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of concrete properties effects on fracture toughness under complex loading

Abstract

This article is presenting the common experimental specimen for determining the fracture toughness of the first pure mode and second pure mode. The Notched beam is chosen from a presented common specimen in the form of three-point flexure beam and four-point flexure beam that were built in the concrete laboratory. For prevention of cracks growth, a critical load of first pure mode and the second pure mode of each specimen computed. Obtained results are used for computing the fracture toughness. For the purpose of investigating the effective fracture parameters in the suggested specimen, finite element analysis on the mentioned geometry is performed. Obtained results show that different parameters are effective on the fracture toughness including crack length, cement percentage, water and the thickness of biggest used aggregate in the sand. Also with changing each of these parameters, the fracture mechanic properties are changed. Each of these effects is examined separately in this article and the conclusions presented in tables and figures.

Communicated by Dumitru Caruntu.     

Experimental investigation on strength and failure behavior of pre-cracked marble under conventional triaxial compression

Fractures in natural rocks have an important effect on the strength and failure behavior of rock mass, which are often evaluated in rock engineering practice. The theoretical evaluation of mechanical behavior of fractured rock mass has no satisfactory answer due to the role of confining pressure and crack geometry. Therefore, in this paper, conventional triaxial compression experiments were carried out to study the strength and failure behavior of marble samples with two pre-existing closed cracks in non-overlapping geometry. Based on the experimental results of a number of triaxial compression tests, the effect of crack coalescence on the axial supporting capacity and deformation property were investigated with different confining pressures. The results show that intact samples and flawed samples (marble with pre-existing cracks) have different deformation properties after peak stress, which change from brittleness to plasticity and ductility with the increase of confining pressure. The peak strength and failure mode are found depending not only on the geometry of flaw, but also on the confining pressure. The strength of flawed samples shows distinct non-linear behavior, which is in a better agreement with non-linear Hoek–Brown criterion than linear Mohr–Coulomb criterion. For a kind of rock that has been evaluated as a Hoek–Brown material, a new evaluation criterion is put forward by adopting optimal approximation polynomial theory, which can be used to confirm more precisely the strength parameters (cohesion and internal friction angle) of flawed samples. For intact samples, the marble leads to typical shear failure mode with a single fracture surface under different confining pressures, while for flawed samples, under uniaxial compression and a lower confining pressure (σ₃ = 10 MPa), tests for coarse and medium marble (the coarse and medium refer to the grain size) exhibit three basic failure modes, i.e., tensile mode, shear mode, and mixed mode (tensile and shear). Shear mode is associated with lower strength behavior. However, under higher confining pressures (σ₃ = 30 MPa), for coarse marble, the axial supporting capacity is not related to the geometry of flaw. The friction among crystal grains determines the strength behavior of coarse marble. For medium marble, the failure mode and deformation behavior are dependent on the crack coalescence in the sample. The present research provides increased understanding of the fundamental nature of rock failure under conventional triaxial compression.     

Experimental investigation in pool boiling heat transfer of ammonia/water mixture and heat transfer correlations

The nucleate pool boiling heat transfer coefficient of ammonia/water mixture was investigated on a cylindrical heated surface at low pressure of 4-8 bar and at low mass fraction of 0 < x_NH3 < 0.3 and at different heat flux. The effect of mass fraction, heat flux and pressure on boiling heat transfer coefficient was studied. The results indicate that the heat transfer coefficient in the mixture decreases with increase in ammonia mass fraction, increases with increase in heat flux and pressure in the investigated range. The measured heat transfer coefficient was compared with existing correlations. The experimental data were predicted with an accuracy of ±20% by the correlation of Calus&Rice, correlation of Stephan-Koorner and Inoue-Monde correlation for ammonia/water mixture in the investigated range of low ammonia mass fraction. The empirical constant of the first two correlations is modified by fitting the correlation to the present experimental data. The modified Calus&Rice correlation predicts the present experimental data with an accuracy of ±18% and the modified Stephan-Koorner correlation with an accuracy of ±16%.     

压剪联合冲击下K9玻璃中的失效波

对K9玻璃进行了冲击速度为150~400 m/s,倾斜角为10、15的纵剖试样斜撞击实验。结果表明,在加载剪切横波(S+)和卸载纵波(P-)之间有波速超过了纵波波速的波阵面存在,此波的存在对卸载纵波和卸载横波的幅值有一定的影响。由于失效波的产生与材料的表面性质密切相关,为消除纵剖试样中间界面的影响,模拟VISAR的实验条件,进行了冲击速度为70~300 m/s、倾斜角为10的横剖试样斜撞击实验。可以确定在此冲击范围失效波的波速在0.98~1.4 km/s,产生失效波的临界状态为：压应力0.86~1.01 GPa,对应剪应力0.053~0.071 GPa。表明剪应力的存在极大降低了失效波产生的阈值。在此基础上初步分析了撞击面的动摩擦因数和相对滑移速度。