Quasi-static response and texture evolution of α- and γ-RDX: a comparative study

In this paper, we undertake a comparative study of the stress–strain response and slip activity of α- and γ-polymorph of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) under pressure loading using a rate-dependent single-crystal plasticity model. Texture evolution studies are performed to further understand the effects of the dominant slip systems. The simulations indicate that the difference in elastic moduli and lattice parameters for α- and γ-RDX lead to different elastic–plastic constitutive response in the two polymorphs. γ-RDX exhibits more plastic slip compared to α-RDX for loading on (1 1 1) plane and the two polymorphs have different sets of dominant slip systems. We observe that the high-pressure slip system (0 0 1)[0 1 0] that is determined using molecular dynamics simulations is the most dominant slip system for this orientation. Whereas, for loading on (2 1 0) plane, α-RDX has marginally higher plastic slip than γ-RDX, though the same slip system is dominant for both the polymorphs. The texture evolution for loading on (1 1 1) and (2 1 0) planes follow the path towards the most dominant slip systems for both the polymorphs. We predict that the larger plastic slip in γ-RDX for loading on (1 1 1) plane might play an important role in understanding the reduced sensitivity for shock loading on (1 1 1) plane, when compared to (2 1 0) for which γ-RDX has lesser plastic slip, and (1 0 0) which is purely elastic.     

LOW POTENTIAL ELECTROPOLYMERIZATION OF ANISOTROPIC CONDUCTIVE POLYTHIOPHENE FILMS AND FABRICATION OF ELECTRICAL DEVICES

The complexation of thiophene with a Lewis acid with moderate acidity as a solvent, such as BF_3-ethyl ether (BFEE) remarkedly lowered the electrochemical polymerization potential. The positively chargedmetal surface of electrode in the process of electrochemical deposition enhanced the coordination interactionbetween π-electrons of thiophene unit and the metal, which makes thiophene rings lie parallel to the surfaceof electrode, resulting in a highly ordered polymeric structure. Because of the large intra-chain transferintegrals, the transport of charge is believed to be principally along the conjugated chains, which is muchgreater than the inter-chain hopping. The specific electrical resistance across the polythiophene film thicknessis more than 10~4 times than that along the surface plane of the film. In this paper we review the recentdevelopment of polymerization technique by low potential electrochemical method performed in our lab andseveral electrical devices in which the compact polythiophene films, such as anionic and cationic sieves, andlaminate film junction of undoped polythiophene derivatives were used.     

A generalized anisotropic and asymmetric yield criterion with adjustable complexity

During the past decades, numerous yield criteria for orthotropic materials, possibly showing tension–compression asymmetry, were developed. Although they were applied successfully to forming simulations, they are usually only adequate for a specific class of materials. The aim of this work is to present a generalized, pressure-independent criterion for plane stress states on the base of a two-dimensional Fourier series. Its complexity is adjustable through the number of considered Fourier coefficients, and thus, albeit using an associated flow rule, virtually any number of experimental data can be captured exactly. The criterion is applicable for materials with or without tension–compression asymmetry.     

Anisotropic Crouzeix-Raviart Type Nonconforming Finite Element Methods to Variational Inequality Problem with Displacement Obstacle

In this paper, anisotropic Crouzeix-Raviart type nonconforming finite element methods are considered for solving the second order variational inequality with displacement obstacle. The convergence analysis is presented and the optimal order error estimates are obtained under the hypothesis of the finite length of the free boundary. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the correctness of theoretical analysis.     

On the modeling of fiber dispersion in fiber-reinforced elastic materials

When an isotropic material is subject to a uniaxial tension, the principal strain transverse to the direction of applied load is always negative. However, in fiber reinforced materials the transverse principal strain can change its sign as the load increases, passing through the zero-points, known as perversions. We investigate how the number of perversions in a material reinforced by two symmetrically aligned families of distributed fibers depends both on the degree of fiber dispersion and the model used for fiber dispersion. Angular integration and three variants of the generalized structure tensor approach are considered and discussed. The study of perversions clearly demonstrates the qualitative difference between these approaches in the case of high dispersion of fibers. The results suggest that this difference is primarily due to the way compressive fibers are modeled.     

A note on the classification of anisotropy of bodies defined by implicit constitutive relations

In this note we consider the definition of anisotropy with regard to the response of bodies described by implicit constitutive relations. The class of response relations under considerations in this work is implicit relations between the history of the stress, the history of the density, and the history of the deformation gradient. It is shown that the work of Noll [4] defining the anisotropy of bodies in terms of symmetry groups for Simple Materials can be very easily extended to define the anisotropy in terms of symmetry groups for materials whose response is described by relations between the histories of the stresses and the deformation gradient. While symmetry groups are defined, the more arduous task of developing representation theorems for bodies defined through implicit response relations is an important open task.     

Response of moving load due to irregularity in slightly compressible,finitely deformed elastic media

The present paper has been framed to study the stresses produced on the rough surface of a slightly compressible, finitely deformed half space due to a normal moving load. The surface of the medium is irregular with parabolic type of irregularity. The perturbation method is applied to find the displacement field. The normal and shear stresses have been obtained in closed form and discussed numerically by means of figures. It has been observed that the shear stress developed at different depths below the surface depends on the irregularity depth, frictional coefficient and irregularity factor of the rough surface of the medium. Also, surface plots have been drawn to analyze the combined variation of non-dimensional stresses and irregularity factor against depth.     

Tuning magnetic properties of magnetoelectric BiFeO3-NiFe2O4 nanostructures

Multifunctional thin film nanostructures containing soft magnetic materials such as nickel ferrite are interesting for potential applications in microwave signal processing because of the possibility to shrink the size of device architecture and limit device power consumption. An essential prerequisite to future applications of such a system is a firm understanding of its magnetic properties. We show that nanostructures composed of ferrimagnetic NiFe₂O₄ pillars in a multiferroic BiFeO₃ matrix can be tuned magnetically by altering the aspect ratio of the pillars by depositing films of varying thickness. Magnetic anisotropy is studied using ferromagnetic resonance, which shows that the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in the growth direction changes sign upon increasing the film thickness. The magnitude of this anisotropy contribution can be explained via a combination of shape and magnetostatic effects, using the object-oriented micromagnetic framework (OOMMF). The key factors determining the magnetic properties of the films are shown to be the aspect ratio of individual pillars and magnetostatic interactions between neighboring pillars.     

Large and anisotropic third-order nonlinear optical response from anisotropy-controlled metallic nanocomposites

High-energy metallic ions were implanted in silica matrices, obtaining spherical-like metallic nanoparticles (NPs) after a proper thermal treatment. These NPs were then deformed by irradiation with Si ions, obtaining an anisotropic metallic nanocomposite, for which its third-order nonlinear optical response was measured using a self-diffraction technique at 532 nm with 26 ps pulses. By adjusting the incident light’s polarization and the angular position of the nanocomposite, the measurements were related to the three linear independent components of its third-order susceptibility tensor, finding a large, but anisotropic, response of around 10⁻⁷ esu with respect to other isotropic metallic systems, and establishing a relationship between these components.     

Polarization storage by two-photon-induced anisotropy in bisazobenzene copolymer film

A copolymer containing bisazobenzene chromophores, poly[(methylmethacrylate)-co-4-{(2-methacryloyloxyethyl)oxy}-4′-(4-nitro-phenylazo)azobenzene)] (poly(MMA-co-M2BAN)), was synthesized and used for two-photon-induced polarization storage. Based on two-photon-induced optical anisotropy resulting from photoselective isomerization of bisazochromophores, the data have been recorded by linearly polarized Ti:Sapphire laser (wavelength: 800 nm, pulse duration: 80 fs, and repetition rate: 80 MHz) and read by reflection confocal laser scanning microscope. The recorded bits are dark dots when the polarization of the reading beam is parallel to the recording beam, but the recorded bits become bright dots when the polarization of the reading beam is perpendicular to the recording beam. Two letters can be encoded in the same region of a given layer by separating the two polarization directions of recording beams at an angle of 45°. The relationships between the readout intensity of the recorded bits and the recording power under two different readout modes were investigated and the results showed that there are two opposite change trends for parallel readout and perpendicular readout, respectively, and the readout threshold value is around 12 mW.