Predicting the elastoplastic response of fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites

This paper aims to investigate the effect of microstructure parameters (such as the cross-sectional shape of fibers and fiber volume fraction) on the stress–strain behavior of unidirectional composites subjected to off-axis loadings. A micromechanical model with a periodic microstructure is used to analyze a representative volume element. The fiber is linearly elastic, but the matrix is nonlinear. The Bodner–Partom model is used to characterize the nonlinear response of the fiber-reinforced composites. The analytical results obtained show that the flow stress of composites with square fibers is higher than with circular or elliptic ones. The difference in the elastoplastic response, which is affected by the fiber shape, can be disregarded if the fiber volume fraction is smaller than 0.15. Furthermore, the effect of fiber shape on the stress–strain behavior of the composite can be ignored if the off-axis loading angle is smaller than 30°.     

Internal instability of laminated composites with a metal matrix

Conclusions The constructed characteristic determinant for a three-dimensional nonaxisymmetric problem in the theory of stability of laminated composites with a metal matrix coincides with the characteristic determinant for the axisymmetric problem with the corresponding substitution of the wave parameters. The solution of the characteristic equation for a real material shows that loss of stability according to the different forms and for different values of deformation and the oscillation parameter as a function of the concentration of filler is possible.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, No. 6, pp. 1051–1056, November–December, 1990.     

Incremental self-consistent approach for the estimation of nonlinear material behavior of metal matrix composites

The application of homogenization methods to compute the macroscopic material response of metal matrix composites is a possibility to save memory and computation time in comparison to full field simulations. This paper deals with a method to extend the self-consistent scheme from linear elasticity theory to nonlinear problems. The idea is to approximate the nonlinear problem by an incrementally linear one. Since time discretization of the deformation process implies a certain linearization, we use the algorithmic consistent tangent operator of the composite for defining the linear comparison material in each time step. This is in contrast to classical incremental self-consistent approaches which use continuum tangent or secant operators. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Artificial Intelligence in numerical modeling of nano sized ceramic particulates reinforced metal matrix composites

Artificial neural network models have the capacity to eliminate the need for expensive experimental investigation in various areas of manufacturing processes, including the casting methods. An understanding of the inter-relationships between input variables is essential for interpreting the sensitivity data and optimizing the design parameters. Aluminum is the best metal for producing metal matrix composites which are known as one of the most useful and high-tech composites in our world. Combining aluminum and nano Al₂O₃ particles will yield a material with high mechanical and tribological properties. In this investigation, the accuracy of various artificial neural network training algorithms in FEM modeling of Al₂O₃ nano particles reinforced A356 matrix composites has been studied.     

Equilibrium failure processes of granular composites

The macroscopic failure of inhomogeneous media results from damage accumulation on different structural levels. During rigid loading, when given displacements of boundary points are ensured, irrespective of the body's resistance, structural-failure processes of composite materials take place in an equilibrium regime and result in the manifestation of such nonlinear-behavior effects as a descending branch on the strain diagram. the structural elements of a granular composite are homogeneous and firmly connected along the interface. Their geometry and mutual arrangement are given and do not change during deformation and failure of the medium, and the medium itself is macrohomogenous. The strength of isotropic structural elementsis estimated by comparing the second invariant of the stress tensor with its critical value. Nonfulfillment of the indicated strength criterion is associated with loss of ability to resist changes in form; at this point, the positive value of the first invariant corresponds to loss of such ability to resist and increase in volume. The deformation and structural failure of the medium are investigated as a single process that can be described under quasi-static loading by a boundary problem consisting of a closed system of Eqs. (1) and (2) and boundary conditions providing for a macrohomogeneous strain state. A principal feature of the boundary problem under consideration is the possibility of considering in constitutive relationships the states of the inhomogeneous medium, which correspond to partial or complete loss of bearing capacity of the structural elements. The random structural strength constants correspond to three-parameter Weibull distribution (6). The representative volume of a granular composite, which fills a domain in the form of a cube, is modeled by a set of istropic elastobrittle strain diagrams containing a descending branch are obtained as a result of the mathematical modeling of deformation processes and structural failure to realized a representative volume containing 384 structural elements with different strength and similar elastic constants.Presented at the Ninth International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October, 1995.Perm'State Mechanical University, Russia. Translated From Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 808–817, November–December, 1996.     

The mechanism of fatigue failure of plastics

Based on the study of the kinetics of deformation or rigidity, of the rise in temperature, and of the fracture surfaces, the article describes the mechanism of failure of plastics. It as found that in a cyclically loaded solid there occur two processes: strengthening and loss of strength. The main factors affecting strengthening in fatigue were discovered. Among them are the structure of the material, the degree of crystallinity, the load level, conditions of deformation, etc. The kinetics of rigidity can yield the most accurate information providing an idea of the process of fatigue failure of plastics.Paper read at the 9th International Conference on the Mechanics of Composite Materials, Riga, October, 1995.Kaunas Technological University, Lithuania. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 279–285, March–April, 1996.     

Nonlinear failure mechanisms of laminated composites

Two distinct analytical models are described representing geometrically nonlinear instabilities in layered composites under in-plane compression — kink-banding and delamination buckling. The utilized technique is based on of energy minimization principles in order to examine the underlying mechanics of the systems. It is demonstrated that using this approach enables investigations to be undertaken far into the postbuckling range whilst changing system parameters. Thereby a greater phenomenological understanding of the mechanics of the systems is achieved. (© 2011 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Averaging the electrical properties of fiber-reinforced metal composites

Using the regular structure model, we average the electrical properties of unidirectional fiber-reinforced metal composites and propose procedures for determination of the effective electrical conductivity tensor of these materials. For the general case of packing of fibers of arbitrary cross section, the problem is reduced to calculation of some functionals determined in solutions of the integral equation of the corresponding boundary current problem for the structure. In the special case of symmetric packing of fibers of circular cross section, the solution is written in the form of series in elliptic functions.Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 533–539, July–August, 1995.