Global Existence for Rate-Independent Gradient Plasticity at Finite Strain

We provide a global existence result for the time-continuous elastoplasticity problem using the energetic formulation. For this, we show that the geometric nonlinearities arising from the multiplicative decomposition of the strain can be controlled via polyconvexity and a priori stress bounds in terms of the energy density. While temporal oscillations are controlled via energy dissipation, the spatial compactness is obtained via regularizing terms involving gradients of the internal variables. Dedicated to Sir John Ball on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Degradation of aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters by bacteria that can degrade aliphatic polyesters

The degradation activities of bacteria that can degrade aliphatic polyesters on various aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters (PBSTIL, PBST, and Ecoflex™) were investigated. Among the bacteria examined, strain TB-71 showed the best degradation activity. An HPLC analysis of the degradation products revealed that PBST55 and Ecoflex™ are degraded into monomers by strain TB-71. In the case of PBSTIL, an unknown peak was detected by the HPLC analysis and was considered to be derived from water-soluble oligomers containing isophthalic acid segments. This finding seemed to be attributed to the chemical structure of the aromatic segments of the copolymers.     

Failure prediction of hybrid composite using Arcan's device and Drucker-Prager model

Hybrid composites are promising materials due the possibility of combining the properties of different fiber types with those of the polymeric matrix. The higher number of phases involved in this kind of material and the hydrostatic component of polymer behavior make it unfeasible to use classic models for failure prediction, like the Von Mises or Treska models. In this study, a modified Arcan's device was applied for mechanical characterization of a polymeric blend matrix composite reinforced with randomly oriented continuous fibers (a clutch disc) to generate combined loading conditions. Experimental results were applied in the Von Mises and Drucker-Prager theoretical models for failure prediction. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to analyze the fracture surface. The failure envelope provided by the Drucker-Prager model fit the experimental results, making it a promising tool for predicting the behavior of this type of hybrid composite.     

Influence of hybridization on in-plane shear properties of 2D & 3D thermoplastic composites reinforced with Kevlar/basalt fabrics

This paper investigates the characterization of in-plane shear properties of thermoplastic composites reinforced with Kevlar/basalt fabrics. Different fabrics had architectures of two dimensional plain woven (2D-P) and three dimensional angle-interlock (3D-A). Intralayer hybridization was performed during the weaving of the fabrics with the combination of Kevlar and basalt yarns. Five 2D-P and three 3D-A composite laminates were manufactured with polypropylene (PP) as a matrix, using compression molding. Iosipescu shear tests were carried out to evaluate the in-plane shear properties. The experimental results revealed that the shear properties including shear modulus, shear strength and shear failure strain of homogeneous composites were improved by 6.5–14.9%, 4.3–19.7%, and 3.2–46.7%, respectively. Similarly, change in the fabric architecture from 2D-P to 3D-A also enhanced the shear strength and shear failure strain by 32.0–41.6% and 7.2–22.5%, respectively. Intralayer hybrid composites had better in-plane shear properties than the interlayer hybrid composites. The fracture morphologies of the specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

Characterization of 3D angle-interlock thermoplastic composites under high strain rate compression loadings

In the present work, dynamic compression response of polypropylene (PP) based composites reinforced with Kevlar/Basalt fabrics was investigated. Two homogeneous fabrics with Kevlar (K3D) and Basalt (B3D) yarns and one hybrid (H3D) fabric with a combination of Kevlar/Basalt yarns were produced. The architecture of the fabrics was three-dimensional angle-interlock (3D-A). Three different composite laminates were manufactured using vacuum-assisted compression molding technique. The high strain rate compression loading was applied using a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) set-up at a strain rate regime of 3633–5235/s. The results indicated that the dynamic compression properties of thermoplastic 3D-A composites are strain rate sensitive. In all the composites, the peak stress, toughness and modulus were increased with strain rate. However, the strain at peak stress of Basalt reinforced composites (B3D, H3D) decreased approximately by 25%, while for K3D specimens it increased approximately by 15%. The K3D composites had a higher strain rate as compared to the B3D and H3D composites. In the case of K3D composite, except strain at peak stress, remaining dynamic properties were lower than the B3D composite, however, hybridization increased these properties. The failure mechanisms of 3D-A composites were characterized through macroscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

Influence of peripheral alkyl chain length on the mesomorphic behaviours of hexasubstituted triphenylene 2,3-dicarboxylic esters

A comparative study of our established synthetic approaches to hexasubsituted triphenylenes 2,3-dicarboxylic esters containing four identical β-alkoxy and two adjacent β-alkoxycarbonyl side chains shows that the phase behaviours of small-sized discotic liquid crystals can be tailored over a wide range by simply varying the length of the peripheral alkyl chains. All the prepared esters in two series were observed to form a single hexagonal columnar phase, except for Tp4-1 having four β-butyloxy and two adjacent β-methoxycarbonyl chains which displays two columnar mesophase behaviours with a transition from the columnar plastic phase to hexagonal columnar phase. A significant difference between the two mesophase was observed in the variable temperature X-ray diffraction studies, and the mesophase assignment was also confirmed by polarising optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, the prepared esters in each series display the general trend of decreasing clearing temperature upon increasing alkoxy or alkoxycarbonyl chains length. The intermediate triphenylene 2,3-dicarboxylic acids were also found not only to exhibit columnar hexagonal mesophase over a narrower temperature range by maintaining high melting and clearing points but also to form organogel on mixing with toluene or dichloromethane with the assistance of hydrogen bonding.     

弹塑性板壳结构非线性有限元分析

本文根据塑性流动理论的基本公式，由隐式积分导出了与路径无关的变量更新算法和一致切线模量。采用单元广义应力应变直接离散塑性流动定律，构造了杂交应力单元一致切线刚度矩阵的显式表达式，编制了结构有限元程序ＳＡＦＥ，数值算例表明：本文的计算方法和计算程序是正确可靠的，可用于弹塑性板壳结构的非线性分析，计算结果屈曲临界载荷和极限承载能力。     

部分均匀荷载作用下圆板塑性极限统一解

本文采用俞茂宏双剪统一屈服准则求解部分均匀荷载下简支圆板的塑性极限，已有的最大主应力准则、Ｔｒｅｓｃａ准则，Ｍｉｓｅｓ准则的解答均是该解答的特例或线性逼近。该解答可以适合于多种工程材料，具有普遍性和适用性，从得出的解析解和图示中可得出一些新的有益的认识     

A theory of large-strain isotropic thermoplasticity based on metric transformation tensors

Summary A formulation of isotropic thermoplasticity for arbitrary large elastic and plastic strains is presented. The underlying concept is the introduction of a metric transformation tensor which maps a locally defined six-dimensional plastic metric onto the metric of the current configuration. This mixed-variant tensor field provides a basis for the definition of a local isotropic hyperelastic stress response in the thermoplastic solid. Following this fundamental assumption, we derive a consistent internal variable formulation of thermoplasticity in a Lagrangian as well as a Eulerian geometric setting. On the numerical side, we discuss in detail an objective integration algorithm for the mixed-variant plastic flow rule. The special feature here is a new representation of the stress return and the algorithmic elastoplastic moduli in the eigenvalue space of the Eulerian plastic metric for plane problems. Furthermore, an algorithm for the solution of the coupled problem is formulated based on an operator split of the global field equations of thermoplasticity. The paper concludes with two representative numerical simulations of thermoplastic deformation processes.     

分析薄壳塑性动力响应问题的一种数值方法

探索薄壳塑性动力响应问题的分析与数值方法,是当今力学中的重要课题之一。笔者曾给出联合应用拉普拉斯变换和最小二乘法分析梁、板、壳塑性动力响应的方法。本文分别针对承受中载的短壳和长壳问题,给出只用最小二乘法分析其塑性动力响应的方法。