Fabrication of functionally gradient nanocomposite coatings by plasma electrolytic oxidation based on variable duty cycle

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) was applied on the surface of commercially pure titanium substrates in a mixed aluminate-phosphate electrolyte in the presence of silicon nitride nanoparticles as suspension in the electrolyte in order to fabricate nanocomposite coatings. Pulsed current was applied based on variable duty cycle in order to synthesize functionally gradient coatings (FGC). Different rates of variable duty cycle (3, 1.5 and 1%/min), applied current densities (0.06-0.14 A/cm²) and concentrations of nanoparticles in the electrolyte (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 g l⁻¹) were investigated. The nanopowder and coated samples were analyzed by atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The influence of different rates of variable duty cycle (or treatment times) on the growth rate of nanocomposite coatings and their microhardness values was investigated. The experimental results revealed that the content of Si₃N₄ nanoparticulates in the layer increases with the increase of its concentration in the plasma electrolysis bath. Nanocomposite coatings fabricated with lower rate of variable duty cycle have higher microhardness with smoother microhardness profile.     

A theoretical study of the propagation of Rayleigh waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM)

An exact approach is used to investigate Rayleigh waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) layer bonded to a semi infinite homogenous solid. The piezoelectric material is polarized when the six fold symmetry axis is put along the propagation direction x₁. The FGPM character imposes that the material properties change gradually with the thickness of the layer. Contrary to the analytical approach, the adopted numerical methods, including the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and the stiffness matrix method (SMM), treat separately the electrical and mechanical gradients. The influences of graded variations applied to FGPM film coefficients on the dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves are discussed. The effects of gradient coefficients on electromechanical coupling factor, displacement fields, stress distributions and electrical potential, are reported. The obtained deviations in comparison with the ungraded homogenous film are plotted with respect to the dimensionless wavenumber. Opposite effects are observed on the coupling factor when graded variations are applied separately. A particular attention has been devoted to the maximum of the coupling factor and it dependence on the stratification rate and the gradient coefficient. This work provides with a theoretical foundation for the design and practical applications of SAW devices with high performance.     

3-D thermo-elastic solution for continuously graded isotropic and fiber-reinforced cylindrical shells resting on two-parameter elastic foundations

This paper investigates the three-dimensional thermo-elastic deformation of cylindrical shells on two-parameter elastic foundations with continuously graded of volume fraction, subjected to thermal load. Suitable temperature and displacement functions that identically satisfy boundary conditions at the edges are used to reduce the equilibrium equations to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients, which are solved by Generalized Differential Quadrature (GDQ) method. Results are presented for two-constituent isotropic and fiber-reinforced functionally graded cylindrical shells that have a smooth variation of volume fractions through the radial direction. Symmetric and asymmetric volume fraction profiles are presented in this paper. The fast rate of convergence of the method is demonstrated and comparison studies are carried out to establish its very high accuracy and versatility. Effects of stiffness of the foundation and variations of different parameters of generalized power-law distribution on steady-state responses of the functionally graded cylindrical shell resting on elastic foundation are discussed. In addition, the effects of the FGM configuration are studied by considering the mechanical entities of different FGM fiber-reinforced cylindrical shells resting on elastic foundation. Some results are presented for the first time and some important conclusions are drawn.     

Basic solution of two parallel mode-I permeable cracks in functionally graded piezoelectric materials

The basic solution of two parallel mode-I permeable cracks in functionally graded piezoelectric materials was studied in this paper using the generalized Almansi’s theorem. To make the analysis tractable, it was assumed that the shear modulus varies exponentially along the horizontal axis parallel to the crack. The problem was formulated through a Fourier transform into two pairs of dual integral equations, in which unknown variables are jumps of displacements across the crack surface. To solve the dual integral equations, the jumps of displacements across the crack surfaces were directly expanded as a series of Jacobi polynomials. The solution of the present paper shows that the singular stresses and the singular electric displacements at the crack tips in functionally graded piezoelectric materials carry the same forms as those in homogeneous piezoelectric materials; however, the magnitudes of intensity factors depend on the gradient of functionally graded piezoelectric material properties. It was also revealed that the crack shielding effect is also present in functionally graded piezoelectric materials.     

Dynamic stress intensity factor of a crack perpendicular to the weak-discontinuous interface in a nonhomogeneous coating–substrate structure

A mechanical model was established for the antiplane dynamic fracture problem of a functionally graded coating–substrate structure with a coating crack perpendicular to the weak-discontinuous interface. The problem was reduced to a Cauchy singular integral equation by the methods of Laplace and Fourier integral transforms. Erdogan’s collocation method and the Laplace numerical inversion proposed by Miller and Guy were used to calculate the dynamic stress intensity factors. Three conclusions were drawn through parametric studies: (a) unlike the conclusion drawn for an interfacial crack, reducing the weak discontinuity of the interface will not necessarily decrease the dynamic stress intensity factor (DSIF) of the coating crack perpendicular to the interface; (b) increasing the stiffness of the substrate when that of the coating is fixed, or decreasing the stiffness of coating when that of the substrate is fixed, will be beneficial for the reduction of the DSIF of a coating crack perpendicular to the interface; and (c) the free surface has a greater influence on the DSIF than the interface does, and the effect of the interface on the DSIF is greater than that of the material stiffness in the crack-tip region.     

Anti-plane shear of an arbitrary oriented crack in a functionally graded strip bonded with two dissimilar half-planes

An internal crack located within a functionally graded material (FGM) strip bonded with two dissimilar half-planes and under an anti-plane load is considered. The crack is oriented in an arbitrary direction. The material properties of strip are assumed to vary exponentially in the thickness direction and two half-planes are assumed to be isotropic. Governing differential equations are derived and to reduce the difficulty of the problem dealing with solution of a system of singular integral equations Fourier integral transform is employed. Semi closed form solution for the stress distribution in the medium is obtained and mode III stress intensity factor (SIF), at the crack tip is calculated and its validity was verified. Finally, the effects of nonhomogeneous material parameter and crack orientation on the stress intensity factor are studied.     

A novel technique for the fabrication of laboratory scale model functionally graded materials

In this work, the authors describe the design, fabrication and testing of model functionally graded materials (FGMs). The inhomogeneous property variations were generated by altering material properties through selective ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Poly(ethylene co-carbon monoxide) (ECO) was chosen to make the FGMs because of its rapid degradation under UV light. Irradiated ECO becomes stiffer, stronger and more brittle with increasing irradiation time. Through a series of tension tests, the authors characterized the mechanical behavior of the specific ECO used as a function of UV exposure time. Furthermore, by controlling exposure time, specimens with continuously and discretely varying mechanical properties were produced. The resulting graded materials exhibited a Young's modulus that varied from about 160 MPa to 250 MPa and a strain to failure that varied from about 900 percent to 10 percent over the width in a 150 mm wide specimen. Microhardness measurements were used to determine the differences between discretely and continuously varying mechanical properties.     

On the screw dislocation in a functionally graded material

This paper presents the stress field of a screw dislocation in a medium graded in y-direction. The medium is exponentially graded. For such a graded material theories of elasticity as well as gradient elasticity are applied. By means of the stress function technique we found exact analytical solutions of the corresponding master equations. Using the stress field, the Peach–Koehler force is given. The axial symmetry of a screw dislocation is lost due to the gradation in the y-direction.     

运用功能梯度结构降低大功率激光系统中镜面热变形的数值分析

 提出一种运用功能梯度结构以有效降低大功率激光系统中镜子温度和镜面热变形以及减缓热应力的新方法。讨论了环形分布和高斯分布2种类型的激光源。有限元分析结果表明,通过这种方法可使硅镜和铜镜的表面热变形成倍降低,并且还能同时显著降低镜体温度。讨论了代表热学和力学性质的函数表达式的斜率对镜面热变形的影响,研究表明：功能梯度结构的热物理对镜面形变产生重大影响,而力学性质对镜面形变的影响非常小。该结论可为具有该功能梯度结构的镜子优化设计和制造提供参考。     

A preparation method of functionally graded materials with phase transition under shock loading

The propagation of phase boundary in a material undergoing shock induced irreversible phase transition is studied theoretically using a model based on simple-mixture rule. It is found that along with the decay of the phase boundary, a functionally graded material (FGM) forms in the mixed-phase region. Such FGMs are composed of parent phase and product phase, and the composition and physical properties are changing continuously without apparent macro-interfaces. The effect of stress boundary conditions on formation of the FGM is investigated in detail with a numerical method. The possibility of producing FGMs with impact method is proposed and the limit of this method is discussed.