Strength scaling of adhesive joints in polymer–matrix composites

The fracture of adhesive joints between two glass-fibre laminates was studied by testing double cantilever beam test specimens loaded by uneven bending moments. A large-scale fracture process zone, consisting of a crack tip and a fibre bridging zone, developed. The mixed mode fracture resistance increased with increasing crack length, eventually reaching a steady-state level (R-curve behaviour). The steady-state fracture resistance level increased with increasing amount of tangential crack opening displacement. Cohesive laws, obtained from fracture resistance data, were used for prediction the load carrying capacity of 2-m long “medium size” adhesive joint specimens subjected to four point flexure. Medium size specimens were manufactured and tested. A good agreement was found between the predicted and measured strength values of the medium-size specimens. Thus, the scaling from small specimens to medium-size specimens was successfully achieved.     

Analysis of hollow inclusion–matrix debonding in particulate composites

This work aims at understanding the effect of particle–matrix interfacial debonding on the tensile response of syntactic foams. The problem of a single hollow inclusion with spherical-cap cracks embedded in a dissimilar matrix material is studied. Degradation of elastic modulus, cavity formation in the proximity of debonded regions, stress localization phenomena in the inclusion, debonding energetics, and crack kinking are studied for a broad range of inclusion wall thickness and debonding extent. A series solution based on the Galerkin method is proposed and validated through comparison with findings from boundary element and finite element methods. Results are specialized to glass particle-vinyl ester matrix systems widely used in marine structural applications. The insight gained into the role of particle–matrix debonding extent and inclusion wall thickness is useful in understanding the possible failure mechanisms of syntactic foams under tensile and flexural loading conditions and in tailoring their parameters for specific applications.     

Damage model for metal–matrix composite under high intensity loading

A damage model for a composite structure under high intensity dynamic loading is presented. The model is based on a thermodynamic micromechanic approach, which is formulated using the conservation laws and the energy balance equations (the first and second laws of thermodynamics). A homogenization or averaging technique is implemented in the development to simplify the representation of the non-homogeneous material. The metal–matrix composite's inelastic response is modeled using elastic–plastic constitutive relations considering finite plastic strain and damage effect. The damage model is validated with experimental data available in the literatures, and it shows fairly good agreement. A parametric study demonstrating the characteristics of the damage model is also presented.     

Multiple cracking of fiber/matrix composites—Analysis of normal extension

This paper is concerned with the fracture of a fiber embedded in a matrix of finite radius. There is a periodic array of cracks in the fiber along the central axis of the medium. The paper accounts for the cases of axial extension and residual temperature change of the composite medium. Fourier and Hankel transforms are used to reduce the problem to the solution of a system of dual integral equations, which are solved by the singular integral equation technique. Rigorous fracture mechanics analysis, which exactly satisfies all boundary conditions of the problem, is conducted. Numerical solutions for the crack tip field and the stress in the fiber are obtained for various values such as crack radius, crack spacing and fiber volume fraction.     

A penny-shaped crack in a filament-reinforced matrix—II. The crack problem

Using the filament model developed in the previous paper, the elastostatic interaction problem between a penny-shaped crack and a slender inclusion or filament in an elastic matrix is formulated. For a single filament as well as multiple identical filaments located symmetrically around the crack the problem is shown to reduce to a singular integral equation. The solution of the problem is obtained for various geometries and filament to-matrix stiffness ratios, and the results relating to the angular variation of the stress intensity factor and the maximum filament stress are presented.     

A penny-shaped crack in a filament-reinforced matrix—I. The filament model

This study deals with the elastostatic problem of a penny-shaped crack in an elastic matrix which is reinforced by filaments or fibers perpendicular to the plane of the crack. An elastic filament model is developed in the first paper. The second paper considers the application of the model to the penny-shaped crack problem in which the filaments of finite length are symmetrically distributed around the crack. The reinforcement problem for the cracked matrix with elastic fibers of different diameter, modulus, and relative location is considered in the third paper. Since the primary interest is in the application of the results to studies relating to the fracture of fiber or filament-reinforced composites and reinforced concrete, the main emphasis of the study will be on the evaluation of the stress intensity factor along the periphery of the crack, the stresses in the filaments or fibers, and the interface shear between the matrix and the filaments or fibers.     

Influence of small harmonic terms on eigenvalues of monodromy matrix of piecewise-linear oscillators

In this paper we consider the problem which can appear at the determination of the dynamical stability of the responses of oscillators with discontinuous or steep derivative of the restoring characteristic obtained in the frequency domain. For that purpose, a simple one degree-of-freedom system with piecewise-linear force-displacement relationship subjected to a harmonic excitation is analysed. Stability of the periodic response obtained in the frequency domain by the incremental harmonic balance method is determined by using the Floquet-Liapounov theorem. Confirmation of the results obtained in the frequency domain is done by comparing with the results obtained in the time domain by the method of piecing the exact solutions. Determination of the dynamical stability can be made more reliable by using the proposed plot of maximum modulus of the eigenvalues of the monodromy matrix in dependence of non-dimensional frequency and the number of harmonics included in the supposed approximate solution.     

Grain size–inclusion size interaction in metal matrix composites using mechanism-based gradient crystal plasticity

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) comprising nano/microcrystalline matrices and reinforcements exhibit impressive mechanical behaviors derived by exploiting the size effects due to development of geometrically necessary dislocations. In such nanostructured MMCs intricate interactions between the grain size d_g and inclusion size d_i may exist in their overall response, but are difficult to isolate in experiments and are also not accounted for in the size-dependent homogenized models. In this paper, we computationally investigate the grain size–inclusion size interaction in model MMCs architectures wherein the grains and inclusions are explicitly resolved. A mechanism-based slip-gradient crystal plasticity formulation (Han et al., 2005a) is implemented in a finite element framework to model polycrystalline mass as an aggregate of randomly oriented single crystals that host elastic inclusions. The slip gradients that develop across grain boundaries and at inclusion–grain interfaces during deformation result in length-scale dependent responses that depend on both d_g and d_i, for a fixed inclusion volume fraction f. For a given d_i and f, the overall hardening exhibits a nonlinear dependence on grain size for d_g ? d_i indicating that interaction effects become important at those length-scales. Systematic computational simulations on bare polycrystalline and MMC architectures are performed in order to isolate the contributions due to grain size, inclusion size and the interaction thereof. Based on these results, an analytical model developed for the interaction hardening exhibits a Hall–Petch type dependence on these microstructural sizes that can be incorporated into homogenized approaches.     

Analytic solution of quasicrystal microsphere considering the thermoelectric effect and surface effect in the elastic matrix

The incorporation of the quasicrystalline phase into the metal matrix offers a wide range of potential applications in particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites.The analytic solution of the piezoelectric quasicrystal(QC) microsphere considering the thermoelectric effect and surface effect contained in the elastic matrix is presented in this study. The governing equations for the QC microsphere in the matrix subject to the external electric loading are derived based on the nonlocal elastic theo...     

The effect of moisture-induced swelling on the absorption capacity of transversely isotropic elastic polymer–matrix composites

The interaction between humid air and transversely isotropic fiber-reinforced composites with swelling polymeric matrix is considered. A model is proposed for the water saturation level in a polymer when stresses are applied, that uses directly obtainable material parameters only. In a composite, the reinforcements modify the water uptake of the polymer matrix because of the internal stresses that are induced by its restricted swelling, and this effect is evaluated. As a consequence of the coupling between stresses and absorption capacity, the sorption isotherm of a composite is ruled by the (non-linear) Langmuir equation when the unreinforced matrix obeys the (linear) Henry’s law.     

Prediction of stress–strain and fracture behaviour of an 8-Harness satin weave ceramic matrix composite

A computationally economic finite-element-based approach has been developed to predict the stress–strain and fracture behaviour of an 8-Harness satin woven ceramic matrix composite with strain-induced damage. The finite element analysis utilises a solid element to model the behaviour of the homogenised orthotropic uni-directional tow and its matrix. The underpinning models of the tow and matrix, (Tang et al., 2009) capture the physics of the interactions between fibres and matrix; and, in this way, permit modelling that bridges the length scales of the fibres and full-scale components. The non-linear multi-axial stress–strain behaviour of the composite has been discretised by multi-linear elastic curves; and the latter has been used as input to a user defined subroutine, UMAT, in the commercial finite element package, ABAQUS. A partial unit cell model has been constructed of the 8-Harness satin weave composite of carbon fibres embedded in an amorphous carbon matrix, HITCO C/C. Predictions of the global stress–strain curve, which include the effects of fibre waviness, have been made for two failure modes: the first by deformation localisation, and the second by dynamic tow failure on fibre fracture, triggered by instantaneous pull-out deactivation. Comparisons have been made between the predictions and experimental data that exhibit two classes of fracture behaviour: brittle and quasi-ductile. The predicted results, both with and without tow waviness, compare well with the experimental data; however, the predictions for waviness are slightly better. The two extremes of experimental behaviour have been found to correspond with the two tow fracture criteria modelled.     

Interface effects on elastic behavior of an edge dislocation in a core–shell nanowire embedded to an infinite matrix

The elastic behavior of an edge dislocation located inside the core of a core–shell nanowire which is embedded in an infinite matrix is studied within the surface/interface elasticity theory. The corresponding boundary value problem is solved exactly by using complex potential functions. An important parameter so-called interface characteristic parameter which has the dimension of length and is a combination of the interface moduli enters the formulations. The stress field of the dislocation, image force acting on the dislocation, and the dislocation strain energy is calculated by considering the interface effect. The introduced characteristic parameter allows the examination of the core–shell size on the image forces acting on the dislocation. The repelling and attracting effects of the interface parameter on the image force are discussed. The equilibrium position of the dislocation is also studied. The dislocation strain energy in the interface elasticity framework is only slightly different from that of traditional elasticity when the dislocation is placed in the central region of the core and reaches its maximum value when it is located near the core–shell interface.     

Craft––a plastic-damage-contact model for concrete. II. Model implementation with implicit return-mapping algorithm and consistent tangent matrix

A computational strategy for the evaluation of stresses in a finite element implementation of a new plastic-damage-contact model is described. As part of this strategy a new return-mapping algorithm is developed which fully couples plasticity to directional damage on one or more damage surfaces, and which ensures that local and total constitutive relationships are simultaneously satisfied. In addition, an associated consistent tangent matrix is derived. The performance of the model, as implemented with this new strategy, is explored in a range of 2D and 3D examples which include analyses based on direct and indirect fracture tests, a mixed mode fracture test, shear-normal tests in which aggregate interlock is significant and a reinforced concrete test in which cracking, aggregate interlock and crushing all contribute significantly to the behavior. It is concluded that the consistent computational approach gives solutions with good equilibrium convergence properties. Furthermore, it is concluded that the new model, as implemented in the finite element code, is able to represent a wide range of the behavior of plain and reinforced concrete structures.     

Stress–strain and fracture behaviour of 0°/90° and plain weave ceramic matrix composites from tow multi-axial properties

A computationally economic finite-element-based multi-linear elastic orthotropic materials approach has been developed to predict the stress–strain and fracture behaviour of ceramic matrix composites with strain-induced damage. The finite element analysis utilises a solid element to represent a homogenised orthotropic medium of a heterogeneous uni-directional tow. The non-linear multi-axial stress–strain behaviour has been discretised to multi-linear elastic curves, which have been implemented by a user defined subroutine or UMAT in the commercial finite element package, ABAQUS. The model has been used to study the performance of two CMC composites: a SiC (Nicalon) fibre/calcium aluminosilicate (CAS) matrix 0°/90° cross-ply laminate Nicalon/CAS; and, a carbon fibre/carbon matrix–SiC matrix (C/C–SiC) plain weave laminate DLR-XT. The global stress–strain curves with catastrophic fracture behaviour and effects of fibre waviness have been predicted. Comparisons have been made between the predictions and experimental data for both materials. The predicted results when fibre waviness is taken into account compare well with the experimental data.     

Finite element modelling of Al/SiCp metal matrix composites with particles aligned in stripes—a 2D–3D comparison

3D Finite element calculations comparing to axisymmetric calculations have been performed to predict quantitatively the tensile behaviour of composites reinforced with ceramic particles aligned in stripes. The analyses are based on a unit cell model, which assumes the periodic arrangement of reinforcements. The results are presented in such a manner that can be directly compared for all possible aspect ratios and inclusion volume fractions. It is indicated that varying the distance between the stripes when particle volume fraction is kept constant significantly influences the overall mechanical behaviour of composites. Whereas during elastic deformation 3D and axisymmetric formulations predict quantitatively similar results, the mechanical behaviour perpendicular to the stripe direction predicted by 3D and axisymmetric models may differ depending on the inclusion volume fraction. Nevertheless an appreciable strengthening in the stripe direction independent on the model and deformation stage is predicted.     

Strain gradient solution for a finite-domain Eshelby-type plane strain inclusion problem and Eshelby’s tensor for a cylindrical inclusion in a finite elastic matrix

A solution for the finite-domain Eshelby-type inclusion problem of a finite elastic body containing a plane strain inclusion prescribed with a uniform eigenstrain and a uniform eigenstrain gradient is derived in a general form using a simplified strain gradient elasticity theory (SSGET). The formulation is facilitated by an extended Betti’s reciprocal theorem and an extended Somigliana’s identity based on the SSGET and suitable for plane strain problems. The disturbed displacement field is obtained in terms of the SSGET-based Green’s function for an infinite plane strain elastic body, which differs from that in earlier studies using the three-dimensional Green’s function. The solution reduces to that of the infinite-domain inclusion problem when the boundary effect is suppressed. The problem of a cylindrical inclusion embedded concentrically in a finite plane strain cylindrical elastic matrix of an enhanced continuum is analytically solved for the first time by applying the general solution, with the Eshelby tensor and its average over the circular cross section of the inclusion obtained in closed forms. This Eshelby tensor, being dependent on the position, inclusion size, matrix size, and a material length scale parameter, captures the inclusion size and boundary effects, unlike existing ones. It reduces to the classical elasticity-based Eshelby tensor for the cylindrical inclusion in an infinite matrix if both the strain gradient and boundary effects are not considered. Numerical results quantitatively show that the inclusion size effect can be quite large when the inclusion is very small and that the boundary effect can dominate when the inclusion volume fraction is very high. However, the inclusion size effect is diminishing with the increase of the inclusion size, and the boundary effect is vanishing as the inclusion volume fraction becomes sufficiently low.     

Numerical simulation of solid tumor angiogenesis with Endostatin treatment： a combined analysis of inhibiting effect of anti-angiogenic factor and micro mechanical environment of extracellular matrix

To investigate the influence of anti-angiogenesis drug Endostatin on solid tumor angiogenesis, a mathematical model of tumor angiogenesis was developed with combined influences of local extra-cellular matrix mechanical environment, and the inhibiting effects of Angiostatin and Endostatin. Simulation results show that Angiostatin and Endostatin can effectively inhibit the process of tumor angiogenesis, and decrease the number of blood vessels in the tumor. The present model could be used as a valid theoretical method in the investigation of anti-angiogenic therapy of tumors.     

On some features of the effective behaviour of porous solids with J2- and J3-dependent yielding matrix behaviourSur quelques effets de l'angle de Lode sur les caractéristiques macroscopiques de matériaux en rupture ductile

Some features od the constitutive behaviour of voided materials taking into account possible effects of the Lode angle in the yielding behaviour of the matrix are discussed. The Gurson approach is used to this end. After providing a parametric representation of the effective behaviour of such materials, some closed-form results are given for pure shear stress states and also at very high stress triaxialities. In the former case corresponding to a zero macroscopic mean stress, the contour of the yield domain in the π-plane has exactly the shape of the yield surface of the matrix in the deviatoric plane, but a size reduced by a factor $1?f$, with f the porosity of the voided material. In the latter, effective yield stresses for the voided material are slightly different from the Gurson result and found to be set by the yield stress at a microscopic stress Lode angle $\frac{\pi }{3}$ for very high positive triaxiality and by the yield stress at a microscopic stress Lode angle 0 for very high negative triaxiality. This last result is extended for porous materials with yielding depending further on the hydrostatic stress, fully exhibiting the interaction between volumetric and shear interactions on the yielding behaviour of isotropic porous materials. Applications to many usual yielding criteria for the matrix are also provided.