In situ strengths of matrix in a composite

A major obstacle to achieving reasonable strength prediction of a composite only from its constituent infor-mation is in the determination of in situ strengths of the matrix. One can measure only the original strengths of the pure matrix, on the basis of which the predicted transverse strengths of a unidirectional (UD) composite are far from reality. It is impossible to reliably measure matrix in situ strengths. This paper focuses on the correlation between in situ and original strengths. Stress concentrations in a matrix owing to the introduction of fibers are attributed to the strength variation. Once stress concentration factors (SCFs) are obtained, the matrix in situ strengths are assigned as the original counterparts divided by them. Such an SCF can-not be defined following a classical approach. All of the relevant issues associated with determining it are system-atically addressed in this paper. Analytical expressions for SCFs under transverse tension, transverse compression, and transverse shear are derived. Closed-form and compact for-mulas for all of the uniaxial strengths of a UD composite are first presented in this paper. Their application to strength pre-dictions of a number of typical UD composites demonstrates the correctness of these formulas.     

Three-dimensional micromechanical modeling of voided polymeric materials

A three-dimensional micromechanical unit cell model for particle-filled materials is presented. The cell model is based on a Voronoi tessellation of particles arranged on a body-centered cubic (BCC) array. The three-dimensionality of the present cell model enables the study of several deformation modes, including uniaxial, plane strain and simple shear deformations, as well as arbitrary principal stress states.The unit cell model is applied to studies on the micromechanical and macromechanical behavior of rubber-toughened polycarbonate. Different load cases are examined, including plane strain deformation, simple shear deformation and principal stress states. For a constant macroscopic strain rate, the different load cases show that the macroscopic flow strength of the blend decreases with an increase in void volume fraction, as expected. The main mechanism for plastic deformation is broad shear banding across inter-particle ligaments. The distributed nature of plastic straining acts to reduce the amount of macroscopic strain softening in the blend as the initial void volume fraction is increased. In the case of plane strain deformation, the plastic flow is observed to initiate across inter-particle ligaments in the direction of constraint. This particular mode of deformation could not have been captured using a two-dimensional, plane strain idealization of cylindrical voids in a matrix.The potential for localized crazing and/or cavitation in the matrix is addressed. It is observed that the introduction of voids acts to relieve hydrostatic stress in the matrix material, compared to the homopolymer. It is also seen that the predicted peak hydrostatic stress in the matrix is higher under plane strain deformation than under triaxial tension (with equal lateral stresses), for the same macroscopic stress triaxiality.The effect of void volume fraction on the macroscopic uniaxial tension behavior of the different blends is examined using a Considère construction for dilatant materials. The natural draw ratio was predicted to decrease with an increase in void volume fraction.     

Hoek–Brown criterion applied to circular tunnel using elastoplasticity and in situ axial stress

Based on the nonlinear Hoek–Brown failure criterion, elastoplastic analytical solutions are developed for the elastoplastic stresses, strains and plastic zones around a circular tunnel subjected to different value of the axial in situ stress. Effects of the transverse in situ stress, the axial in situ stress and the strength parameters of rock masses on the elastoplastic stresses, strains and plastic zones in the surrounding rock masses are investigated. It is found from the numerical results that the stresses, strains, and plastic zones in the surrounding rock depend not only on the transverse in situ stress but also on the axial in situ stress as well as the mechanical parameters of rock masses.     

Cohesive modeling of transverse cracking in laminates under in-plane loading with a single layer of elements per ply

This study aims to bridge the gap between classical understanding of transverse cracking in cross-ply laminates and recent computational methods for the modeling of progressive laminate failure. Specifically, the study investigates under what conditions a finite element model with cohesive X-FEM cracks can reproduce the in situ effect for the ply strength. It is shown that it is possible to do so with a single element across the thickness of the ply, provided that the interface stiffness is properly selected. The optimal value for this interface stiffness is derived with an analytical shear lag model. It is also shown that, when the appropriate statistical variation of properties has been applied, models with a single element through the thickness of a ply can predict the density of transverse matrix cracks.     

Initiation and growth of wrinkling due to nonuniform tension in sheet metal forming

An experimental investigation was conducted on the initiation and growth of wrinkling due to nonuniform tension using the Yoshida buckling test. The initiation of wrinkling was detected by strain gages mounted on both surfaces of the samples in the loading and transverse directions. The bifurcation of aluminum auto body sheets appeared to be smooth and much less abrupt than that observed in a steel sheet. A special fixture was designed to, perhaps for the first time, continuously measure the in situ growth of the buckle heights so that the rates of buckle growth were monitored as functions of strain and stress in the loading direction. In contrast to what is commonly believed, it was found that the buckle height is not predominantly determined by the material yield strength, and lower averager value does not increase the rate of buckle growth. Crystallographic texture components and pole figures of the test materials were also measured, and the relationship of plastic anisotropy with wrinkling behavior was investigated by experiments with specimens aligned in the rolling direction, the transverse direction and 45-deg to the rolling direction of the sheet materials.     

Mechanical behaviour of brittle matrix composites: a homogenization approach

A numerical model is developed with the aim of describing the macroscopic mechanical response of unidirectional brittle–matrix fiber-reinforced composites subjected to stresses acting in any plane transverse to the fibers. Finite element analyses of a representative unit cell are performed, with suitable boundary conditions ensuring continuity of the displacement field across adjacent cells and periodicity of the strain field over the cell. A strain–softening constitutive law is adopted for the matrix in tension to allow, for instance, for brittleness induced by possible defects in a polymeric matrix. The perfectly plastic case is also considered for sake of comparison. Results established for ductile composites are found to be inappropriate for brittle matrix composites: numerical analyses show that composites with softening matrix have transverse strength properties much poorer than perfectly plastic composites with matrix of equal strength, and even than the unreinforced matrix. An induced transverse anisotropy in the post-peak regime is also observed. A discussion on the proposed approach concludes the note.     

Fatigue crack opening stress based on the strip-yield model

The modified strip-yield model based on the Dugdale model and two-dimensional approximate weight function method were utilized to evaluate the effect of in-plane constraint, transverse stress, on the fatigue crack closure. The plastic zone sizes and the crack opening stresses considering transverse stress were calculated for four specimens: single edge-notched tension (SENT) specimen, single edge-notched bend (SENB) specimen, center-cracked tension (CCT) specimen, double edge-notched tension (DENT) specimen under uniaxial loading. And the crack opening behavior of the center-cracked specimen under biaxial loading was also evaluated. Normalized crack opening stresses σ_op/σ_max for four specimens were successfully described by the normalized plastic zone parameter Δω^′_rev/ω^′ considering transverse stress, where Δω^′_rev and ω^′ are the size of the reversed plastic zone at the moment of first crack tip closure and the size of the forward plastic zone for maximum stress, respectively. The normalized plastic zone parameter with transverse stress also was satisfactorily correlated with the behavior of crack closure for CCT specimen under biaxial loading.     

Research note on the elastic-plastic bending of rectangular plates: A new approach

The behaviour of thin rectangular plates when subjected to distributed transverse loading that produces plastic deformations is analysed in a relatively simple manner. The contour lines approach is used in conjunction with Ilyushin's theory for small plastic deformation. The governing nonlinear differential equations are solved using an iterative technique together with quadratic extrapolation scheme for linearisation and finite difference method for spatial discretisation. Some comparisons are made with previously obtained results as available in the literature. All details are explained by graphs. Numerical results show the accuracy and efficiency of this new approach.     

Thermal stress analysis of a silicon carbide/aluminum composite

Thermal deformations and stresses were studied in a silicon-carbide/aluminum filamentary composite at temperatures up to 370°C (700°F). Longitudinal and transverse thermal strains were measured with strain gages and a dilatometer. An elastoplastic micromechanical analysis based on a one-dimensional rule-of-mixtures model and an axisymmetric two-material composite cylinder model was performed. It was established that beyond a critical temperature thermal strains become nonlinear with decreasing longitudinal and increasing transverse thermal-expansion coefficients. This behavior was attributed to the plastic stresses in the aluminum matrix above the critical temperature. An elastoplastic analysis of both micromechanical models was performed to determine the stress distributions and thermal deformation in the fiber and matrix of the composite. While only axial stresses can be determined by the rule-of-mixtures model, the complete triaxial state of stress is established by the composite cylinder model. Theoretical predictions for the two thermal-expansion coefficients were in satisfactory agreement with experimental results.     

Transformation-induced plasticity in ferrous alloys

We study the mechanical behavior of a class of multiphase carbon steels where metastable austenite at room temperature is found in grains dispersed in a ferrite-based matrix. During mechanical loading, the austenite undergoes a displacive phase change and transforms into martensite. This transformation is accommodated by plastic deformations in the surrounding matrix. Experimental results show that the presence of austenite typically enhances the ductility and strength of the steel. We use a recently developed model (Turteltaub and Suiker, 2005) to analyze in detail the contribution of the martensitic transformation to the overall stress-strain response of a specimen containing a single island of austenite embedded in a ferrite-based matrix. Results show that the performance of the material depends strongly on the lattice orientation of the austenite with respect to the loading direction. More importantly, we identify cases in which the presence of austenite can in fact be detrimental in terms of strength, which is relevant information in order to improve the behavior of this class of steels.     

Shear and Bending Response of a Rigid Plastic Circular Plate Struck Transversely by a Mass*

ABSTRACT

A theoretical analysis is presented for the dynamic plastic behavior of a fully clamped rigid, perfectly plastic circular plate struck transversely by a rigid mass at the center. It is shown that the maximum permanent transverse deformation predicted by a theoretical solution, with combined transverse shear and bending, is similar to that from a bending-only solution when the ratio of shear strength to bending capacity υ is sufficiently large. However, when the strength parameter υ is small, the transverse shear deformation dominates the response and the maximum deformation from a combined shear and bending solution increases sharply with a decrease in υ. It is also found that the transverse shear deformation becomes more important with an increase in the dimensionless mass ratio β and is sensitive to the dimensionless radius ρ₀ of the impact area.     

The dynamic mechanical response of fiber-reinforced beams to large transverse loads

The paper describes the results of experiments on fiber-reinforced metal beams which have been subjected to dynamic transverse loading. The beams were fabricated by embedding sets of parallel steel wires in a matrix of lead-tin alloy, and were clamped at one end. The transverse dynamic loading was applied to the tip of the beam so that the problem was one of the transverse deformation of a composite cantilever. Two separate techniques were employed to load the specimens, one being to hit the end with a fast moving hammer in a “Hyge” Shock Testing Machine; the other was to detonate an explosive charge in contact with a small projectile close to the tip. The deformations were monitored by a number of different experimental techniques and the final plastic transverse deflection of the tip as well as the final position of the plastic wave front were compared with the theoretical predictions of Spencer, Jones and their co-workers. The agreement was found to be very satisfactory. In making these comparisons strain rate effects in the lead-tin matrix metal had to be allowed for and this was done with the help of a separate set of tests.     

Differential constitutive equations of incompressible media with finite deformations

A method is proposed for constructing a system of constitutive equations of an incompressible medium with nonlinear dissipative properties with finite deformations. A scheme of the mechanical behavior of a material is used, in which the points are connected by horizontally aligned elastic, viscous, plastic, and transmission elements. The properties of each element of the scheme are described with the use of known equations of the nonlinear elasticity theory, the theory of nonlinear viscous fluids, and the theory of plastic flow of the material under conditions of finite deformations of the medium. The system of constitutive equations is closed by equations that express the relation between the deformation rate tensor of the material and the deformation rate tensor of the plastic element. Transmission elements are used to take into account a significant difference between macroscopic deformations of the material and deformations of elements of the medium at the structural level. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 3, pp. 158–170, May–June, 2009.     

Plasticity of a two-phase composite with partially debonded inclusions

The effective elastoplastic behavior of a two-phase composite consisting of partially debonded elastic inclusions and a ductile matrix is investigated by a homogenization method. The method drew information from a recent study by the authors on the effective elastic moduli of the said composite and from an energy approach suggested by Qui and Weng, J. Appl. Mech., 59, 261 [1992] to address the homogenized plastic state of the heterogeneously deformed ductile matrix. Two types of partial debonding configuration are considered; the first is on the top and bottom of the aligned oblate inclusions and the other is on the lateral surface of the prolate ones, with special reference to spherical inclusions for both types of debonding. The transversely isotropic elastoplastic properties of the partially debonded composite are found to be highly dependent upon the debonding mode and the volume concentration and shape of inclusions. A damage mechanics based on Weibull's statistical function is also proposed to study the progressive partial debonding of the initially bonded composite under pure tension and under biaxial tension, respectively, for these two types of partial debonding. It is found that the interfacial strength, particle concentration, inclusion shape and debonding mode all play significant role in the overall response of the heterogeneous system during the progressive debonding process.     

Crystallographically based model for transformation-induced plasticity in multiphase carbon steels

The microstructure of multiphase steels assisted by transformation-induced plasticity consists of grains of retained austenite embedded in a ferrite-based matrix. Upon mechanical loading, retained austenite may transform into martensite, as a result of which plastic deformations are induced in the surrounding phases, i.e., the ferrite-based matrix and the untransformed austenite. In the present work, a crystallographically based model is developed to describe the elastoplastic transformation process in the austenitic region. The model is formulated within a large-deformation framework where the transformation kinematics is connected to the crystallographic theory of martensitic transformations. The effective elastic stiffness accounts for anisotropy arising from crystallographic orientations as well as for dilation effects due to the transformation. The transformation model is coupled to a single-crystal plasticity model for a face-centered cubic lattice to quantify the plastic deformations in the untransformed austenite. The driving forces for transformation and plasticity are derived from thermodynamical principles and include lower-length-scale contributions from surface and defect energies associated to, respectively, habit planes and dislocations. In order to demonstrate the essential features of the model, simulations are carried out for austenitic single crystals subjected to basic loading modes. To describe the elastoplastic response of the ferritic matrix in a multiphase steel, a crystal plasticity model for a body-centered cubic lattice is adopted. This model includes the effect of nonglide stresses in order to reproduce the asymmetry of slips in the twinning and antitwinning directions that characterizes the behavior of this type of lattices. The models for austenite and ferrite are combined to simulate the microstructural behavior of a multiphase steel. The results of the simulations show the relevance of including plastic deformations in the austenite in order to predict a more realistic evolution of the transformation process. This work is part of the research program of the Netherlands Institute for Metals Research (NIMR) and the Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie (FOM, financially supported by the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO)). The research was carried out under project number 02EMM20 of the FOM/NIMR program “Evolution of the Microstructure of Materials” (P-33).     

Continuum modeling of a porous solid with pressure-sensitive dilatant matrix

The pressure-sensitive plastic response of a material has been studied in terms of the intrinsic sensitivity of its yield stress to pressure and the presence and growth of cavities. This work focuses on the interplay between these two distinctly different mechanisms and the attendant material behavior. To this end, a constitutive model is proposed taking both mechanisms into account. Using Gurson's homogenization, an upper bound model is developed for a voided solid with a plastically dilatant matrix material. This model is built around a three-parameter axisymmetric velocity field for a unit sphere containing a spherical void. The void is also subjected to internal pressure; this can be relevant for polymeric adhesives permeated by moisture that vaporizes at elevated temperatures. The plastic response of the matrix material is described by Drucker–Prager's yield criterion and an associated flow rule. The resulting yield surface and porosity evolution law of the homogenized constitutive model are presented in parametric form. Using the solutions to special cases as building blocks, approximate models with explicit forms are proposed. The parametric form and an approximate explicit form are compared against full-field solutions obtained from finite element analysis. They are also studied for loading under generalized tension conditions. These computational simulations shed light on the interplay between the two mechanisms and its enhanced effect on yield strength and plastic flow. Among other things, the tensile yield strength of the porous solid is greatly reduced by the internal void pressure, particularly when a liquid/vapor phase is the source of the internal pressure.     

Yield behavior of photoplastic materials

A mixture of flexible and rigid polyester resins has been used previously by Morris and Riley¹⁶ and by Zachary and Riley⁹ to model plastic deformations. The last of these papers furnished mechanical and optical properties under uniaxial tension and compression for several different mixture ratios of the polyester resins and also presents some results under multiaxial-stress conditions from thin cylinders under internal pressure. In a recent paper, Burger, Gomide and Scott¹⁴ used the rigid polyester resin at elevated temperature to model plastic deformations in upset rings; the behavior of the rigid polyester was verified with diametrically compressed disks and uniaxial-compression specimens. A very important similitude requirement for model to prototype scaling in photoplasticity work is that the macroscopic yield behavior of model and prototype materials must be the same. Thus, not only uniaxial tension and compression properties must be examined, but also yield properties under multiaxial-stress states have to be determined. The purpose of this paper is to provide additional information on the yield behavior of polyester mixtures which appear suitable for model studies of manufacturing methods such as rolling and extruding. For these processes, mixture ratio, test temperature and strain rate can be used to control the shape of the stress-strain curve and the yield behavior. The experimental procedure used to determine the initial yield locus of the photoplastic materials employed a new specimen geometry proposed by Arcan, Hashin and Voloshin¹⁸ which produces uniform biaxial-stress fields of opposite sign in one section of the specimen. Both polycarbonate and polyester materials were evaluated using this procedure and results are compared with those available in the technical literature.     

纤维复合材料界面横向拉伸分析

以单纤维十字型横向拉伸试验为研究对象,对纤维/基体界面采用弹性-软化双线性内聚力模型,建立了纤维复合材料在横向拉伸作用下界面法向失效过程的解析模型。得到了沿纤维/基体圆周界面的法向应力分布,纤维/基体界面的状态与界面承载力和单纤维复合材料承载力的关系,以及内聚力参数和试件几何尺寸对它们的影响。结果表明:纤维/基体圆周界面在脱粘前经历全部弹性及弹性+软化两种状态;当界面为弹性状态时,界面法向应力随界面强度线性增加;当界面为弹性+软化状态时,界面软化范围随界面裂纹萌生位移的增加而增大;界面初始脱粘位置与拉伸荷载方向重合;界面初始脱粘时的界面承载力随界面强度及界面裂纹萌生位移的增加而增加,随界面裂纹生成位移的增加而降低;单纤维复合材料的脱粘荷载受基体截面尺寸的影响,当纤维体积含量相同时,沿荷载方向截面尺寸的增大对提高脱粘荷载更显著。     

基体的真实应力理论

连续介质力学中,各向同性材料的力学理论已基本成熟,即,对任何一个各向同性材料的力学问题,人们几乎总能从现有理论中找到有效解决方案,但对各向异性材料暨复合材料而言,只有线弹性理论才基本成熟,复合材料的塑性变形、破坏和强度等问题,都还缺少成熟分析方法。根本原因是,现有理论只能得到纤维和基体中的均值应力,复合材料的塑性、破坏和强度分析,都必须基于基体的真实应力。本文对作者创建和发展的基体真实应力理论进行了综述介绍,并简要指出了真实应力理论在复合材料破坏和强度分析中所起的作用。