Consideration of microstructural effects in the analysis of adiabatic shear bands in a tungsten heavy alloy

We use multiscale and multiphysics analyses to approximately account for the microstructure of a composite comprised of tungsten particulates embedded in a nickel–iron matrix and deformed in plane strain tension at a high strain rate. Both materials are assumed to be perfectly bonded to each other, and heat-conducting, microporous, strain- and strain-rate hardening, and thermally softening with thermomechanical material parameters degrading with the evolution of porosity. The square region whose finite thermomechanical deformations are analyzed is divided into a uniform mesh, (for example), of 10 × 10 super-elements or patches, and each patch is subdivided into 10 × 10 uniform finite elements (FEs). Material properties in a super-element are obtained from those of its constituents and their volume fractions by a homogenization technique. Thus the square region is comprised of 100 homogeneous subbodies perfectly bonded to each other. Keeping the total number of FEs fixed, the effect of the number of patches on the time of initiation of an adiabatic shear band (ASB) is delineated, and it is compared with that obtained from the mesoscale analysis of the problem with the 100 × 100 uniform FE mesh and considering each material separately. With an increase in the number of patches, the ASB initiation time converges to that obtained from the mesoscale analysis. The CPU time and other computational resources required for the patchwork analysis are considerably less than those needed for the mesoscale analysis. The proposed technique enables one to consider effects of microstructure in analyzing deformations of a full-scale structure.     

Homogenization of layered elastoplastic composites: Theoretical results

Exact closed-form solutions are derived that completely characterize the effective behavior of a composite material made of elastic-perfectly plastic parallel plane layers perfectly bonded together. The derivation is framed within a rigorous theory of homogenization for elastoplastic composites, and based on the fundamental fact that the in-plane part of the strain tensor and the out-of-plane part of the stress tensor are uniform throughout the composite provided no free-edge effects occur. The obtained expressions are coordinate-free and valid in the general anisotropic case. As an example, a layered composite material with isotropic constituents is examined in detail.     

Determination of the size of the representative volume element for random composites: statistical and numerical approach

The representative volume element (RVE) plays a central role in the mechanics and physics of random heterogeneous materials with a view to predicting their effective properties. A quantitative definition of its size is proposed in this work. A RVE size can be associated with a given precision of the estimation of the wanted overall property and the number of realizations of a given volume V of microstructure that one is able to consider. It is shown to depend on the investigated morphological or physical property, the contrast in the properties of the constituents, and their volume fractions. The methodology is applied to a specific random microstructure, namely a two-phase three-dimensional Voronoı̈ mosaic. Finite element simulations of volumes of different sizes are performed in the case of linear elasticity and thermal conductivity. The volumes are subjected to homogeneous strain, stress or periodic boundary conditions. The effective properties can be determined for large volumes and a small number of realizations. Conversely, smaller volumes can be used providing that a sufficient number of realizations are considered. A bias in the estimation of the effective properties is observed for too small volumes for all types of boundary conditions. The variance of computed apparent properties for each volume size is used to define the precision of the estimation. The key-notion of integral range is introduced to relate this error estimation and the definition of the RVE size. For given wanted precision and number of realizations, one is able to provide a minimal volume size for the computation of effective properties. The results can also be used to predict the minimal number of realizations that must be considered for a given volume size in order to estimate the effective property for a given precision. The RVE sizes found for elastic and thermal properties, but also for a geometrical property like volume fraction, are compared.     

Micromechanics of elasto-plastic materials reinforced with ellipsoidal inclusions

The effective mechanical behavior of an elasto-plastic matrix reinforced with a random and homogeneous distribution of aligned elastic ellipsoids was obtained by the finite element simulation of a representative volume element (RVE) of the microstructure and by homogenization methods. In the latter, the composite behavior was modeled by linearization of the local behavior through the use of the tangent or secant stiffness tensors of the phases. “Quasi-exact” results for the tensile deformation were attained by averaging of the stress-strain curves coming from the numerical simulation of RVEs containing a few dozens of ellipsoids. These results were used as benchmarks to assess the accuracy of the homogenization models. The best approximations to the reference numerical results were provided by the incremental and the second-order secant methods, while the classical or first-order secant approach overestimated the composite flow stress, particularly when the composite was deformed in the longitudinal direction. The discrepancies among the homogenization models and the numerical results were assessed from the analysis of the stress and strain microfields provided by the numerical simulations, which demonstrated the dominant effect of the localization of the plastic strain in the matrix on the accuracy of the homogenization models.     

A two-phase elastoplastic model for unidirectionally-reinforced materials

A complete analytical formulation for the elastoplastic behaviour of a composite material comprising one single array of reinforcing inclusions perfectly bonded to the matrix is developed in this paper. Fundamental relationships establish the link between the total stress and strain variables, and those pertaining to the individual constituents (matrix and reinforcement) regarded as superposed continuous phases. Assuming that each constituent behaves as an elastic perfectly plastic material, the constitutive equations governing the evolution of the reinforced material as a whole are derived. They reveal a hardening phenomenon arising from the non-compatibility between matrix and reinforcement plastic strains. It is shown in particular that the obtained constitutive law falls within the formalism of generalized standard plasticity: the reinforcement residual stress plays the role of a hardening parameter which controls the evolution of the yield surface, while the associated kinematic variable is the plastic strain discrepancy between matrix and reinforcement phases.Owing to its inherent simplicity, the model is easily amenable to a numerical treatment for structural analysis. It is shown in particular how the classical iterative algorithm can be modified accordingly, and an illustrative application is finally presented in the field of civil engineering.     

A variational formulation for the incremental homogenization of elasto-plastic composites

This work addresses the micro–macro modeling of composites having elasto-plastic constituents. A new model is proposed to compute the effective stress–strain relation along arbitrary loading paths. The proposed model is based on an incremental variational principle (Ortiz, M., Stainier, L., 1999. The variational formulation of viscoplastic constitutive updates. Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 171, 419–444) according to which the local stress–strain relation derives from a single incremental potential at each time step. The effective incremental potential of the composite is then estimated based on a linear comparison composite (LCC) with an effective behavior computed using available schemes in linear elasticity. Algorithmic elegance of the time-integration of J₂ elasto-plasticity is exploited in order to define the LCC. In particular, the elastic predictor strain is used explicitly. The method yields a homogenized yield criterion and radial return equation for each phase, as well as a homogenized plastic flow rule. The predictive capabilities of the proposed method are assessed against reference full-field finite element results for several particle-reinforced composites.     

Design sensitivity analysis for the homogenized elasticity tensor of a polymer filled with rubber particles

The main purpose of this work is the computational simulation of the sensitivity coefficients of the homogenized tensor for a polymer filled with rubber particles with respect to the material parameters of the constituents. The Representative Volume Element (RVE) of this composite contains a single spherical particle, and the composite components are treated as homogeneous isotropic media, resulting in an isotropic effective homogenized material. The sensitivity analysis presented in this paper is performed via the provided semi-analytical technique using the commercial FEM code ABAQUS and the symbolic computation package MAPLE. The analytical method applied for comparison uses the additional algebraic formulas derived for the homogenized tensor for a medium filled with spherical inclusions, while the FEM-based technique employs the polynomial response functions recovered from the Weighted Least-Squares Method. The homogenization technique consists of equating the strain energies for the real composite and the artificial isotropic material characterized by the effective elasticity tensor. The homogenization problem is solved using ABAQUS by the application of uniform deformations on specific outer surfaces of the composite RVE and the use of tetrahedral finite elements C3D4. The energy approach will allow for the future application of more realistic constitutive models of rubber-filled polymers such as that of Mullins and for RVEs of larger size that contain an agglomeration of rubber particles.     

平面幂律塑性Ⅰ型裂纹尖端应力场全解

在航空航天、船舶、石油管道和核电等领域,服役结构或部件在长期极端条件下运行,不可避免地会产生裂纹,因此,为研究含裂纹结构的准静态断裂行为,必须了解裂纹尖端附近区域的应力应变场特点.对于幂律材料裂纹构元,研究平面应变和平面应力条件下Ⅰ型裂纹尖端应力场的解析分布.基于能量密度等效和量纲分析,推导了能量密度中值点代表性体积单元(representative volume element, RVE)的等效应力解析方程,并定义其为应力因子,进而针对有限平面应变和平面应力紧凑拉伸(compact tension, CT)试样和单边裂纹弯曲(single edge bend, SEB)试样,以应力因子作为应力特征量,并构造用于表征裂尖等效应力等值线的蝶翅轮廓式和扇贝轮廓式三角特殊函数,提出描述幂律塑性条件下平面I型裂纹尖端应力场的半解析模型.该半解析模型形式简单,对CT和SEB试样的裂尖应力场的预测结果与有限元分析的结果比较表明,两者之间均密切吻合,模型公式可直接用于预测Ⅰ型裂纹尖端应力分布,方便于断裂安全评价和理论发展.     

基于均匀化理论韧性复合材料塑性极限分析

运用细观力学中的均匀化方法分析了韧性复合材料的塑性极限承载能力.从反映复合材料细观结构的代表性胞元入手,将均匀化理论运用到塑性极限分析中,计算由理想刚塑性、Mises组分材料构成的复合材料的极限承载能力.运用机动极限方法和有限元技术,最终将上述问题归结为求解一组带等式约束的非线性数学规划问题,并采用一种无搜索直接迭代算法求解.为复合材料的强度分析提供了一个有效手段.     

On the behavior of stress waves in composite materials—II. Theoretical and experimental studies on the effects of constituent debonding

The theory derived in Part I is compared to data obtained from flyer-plate experiments on laminated composites. The composites were constructed of alternating layers of aluminum and polymethyl methacrylate. Impact occurred on a flat plane oriented perpendicular to the interface planes of the composite constituents. As opposed to the behavior of a fully bonded composite which allows only one longitudinal stress wave to propagate through its interior, two longitudinal stress waves were observed in the debonded composite.Reasonable agreement was achieved in the comparisons of theory to experiment after adjustment was made for the effect of residual bond strength at the constituent interfaces.     

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.     

加筋材料的格形模型和统计数值方法

本文采用格形化方法和统计技术建立加筋复合材料有限元力学模型，使用自动选取载荷步长方法和非平衡迭代技术，对加筋复合材料的宏观等效模量和破坏全过程进行了数值模拟，分析了材料分布的非均匀程度，相对体积比和横截面加筋分布方式对加筋复合材料整体宏观等效模量和承载力的影响。     

A plane stress anisotropic plastic flow theory for orthotropic sheet metals

A phenomenological theory is presented for describing the anisotropic plastic flow of orthotropic polycrystalline aluminum sheet metals under plane stress. The theory uses a stress exponent, a rate-dependent effective flow strength function, and five anisotropic material functions to specify a flow potential, an associated flow rule of plastic strain rates, a flow rule of plastic spin, and an evolution law of isotropic hardening of a sheet metal. Each of the five anisotropic material functions may be represented by a truncated Fourier series based on the orthotropic symmetry of the sheet metal and their Fourier coefficients can be determined using experimental data obtained from uniaxial tension and equal biaxial tension tests. Depending on the number of uniaxial tension tests conducted, three models with various degrees of planar anisotropy are constructed based on the proposed plasticity theory for power-law strain hardening sheet metals. These models are applied successfully to describe the anisotropic plastic flow behavior of 10 commercial aluminum alloy sheet metals reported in the literature.     

PLASTIC LIMIT ANALYSIS OF DUCTILE COMPOSITE STRUCTURES FROM MICRO-TO MACRO-MECHANICAL ANALYSIS

The load-bearing capacity of ductile composite structures comprised of periodic composites is studied by a combined micro/macromechanicai approach. Firstly, on the microscopic level, a representative volume element （RVE） is selected to reflect the microstructures of the composite materials and the constituents are assumed to be elastic perfectly-plastic. Based on the homogenization theory and the static limit theorem, an optimization formulation to directly calculate the macroscopic strength domain of the RVE is obtained. The finite element modeling of the static limit analysis is formulated as a nonlinear mathematical programming and solved by the sequential quadratic programming method, where the temperature parameter method is used to construct the self-stress field. Secondly, Hill＇s yield criterion is adopted to connect the micromechanicai and macromechanical analyses. And the limit loads of composite structures are worked out on the macroscopic scale. Finally, some examples and comparisons are shown.     

The effect of porosity distribution on ductile failure

The effect of a nonuniform distribution of porosity on flow localization and failure in a porous material is analyzed numerically. The void density distribution and properties used to characterize the material behavior were obtained from measurements on partially consolidated and sintered iron powder. The calculations were carried out using an elastic viscoplastic constitutive relation for porous plastic solids. Local material failure is incorporated into the model through the dependence of the flow potential on void volume fraction. The region modelled is a small portion of a larger body, subject to various triaxial stress conditions. Both plane strain and axisymmetric deformations are considered with imposed periodic boundary conditions. Interactions between regions with higher void fractions promote plastic flow localization into a band. Local failure occurs by void growth and coalescence within the band. The results suggest a failure criterion based on a critical void volume fraction that is only weakly dependent on stress history. The critical void fraction does. however, depend on the initial void distribution and material hardening characteristics.     

Non linear constitutive models for lattice materials

We use a computational homogenisation approach to derive a non linear constitutive model for lattice materials. A representative volume element (RVE) of the lattice is modelled by means of discrete structural elements, and macroscopic stress–strain relationships are numerically evaluated after applying appropriate periodic boundary conditions to the RVE. The influence of the choice of the RVE on the predictions of the model is discussed. The model has been used for the analysis of the hexagonal and the triangulated lattices subjected to large strains. The fidelity of the model has been demonstrated by analysing a plate with a central hole under prescribed in plane compressive and tensile loads, and then comparing the results from the discrete and the homogenised models.