Enhanced melt strength and stretching of linear low-density polyethylene extruded under strong slip conditions

The influence of extrusion under strong slip conditions on the extensional properties of linear low-density polyethylene was studied in this work. The material was extruded at two different temperatures under strong slip and no slip conditions, and was subsequently subjected to uniaxial elongational flow by means of a Rheotens device. Strong slip was evident through the elimination of sharkskin distortions and the stick-slip instability, as well as by the electrification of the extrudates. The extrudate swell was smaller in the presence of slip when comparing with no slip conditions at constant apparent shear rate, but it was found to be a unique function of the shear stress if comparison was performed at constant stress. The draw ratio and melt strength of the filaments obtained under slip conditions were larger compared to those without slip. In addition, draw resonance was postponed to higher draw ratios during the extrusion with strong slip at constant apparent shear rate. It is suggested that slip of the polymer at the die wall decreases the shear stress in the bulk, and therefore, restricts the disentanglement and orientation of macromolecules during flow, which subsequently produces the increase in draw ratio and melt strength during stretching.     

超声疲劳试验方法及其应用

超声疲劳是一种加速的疲劳试验方法,它的测试频率(20kHz)远远超过了常规疲劳测试频率(小于200Hz)．超声疲劳试验研究表明50^#车轴钢和40Cr钢直到10^10个应力循环后仍会发生疲劳断裂,并不存在常规疲劳试验曲线所示的“疲劳极限”,因此用10^7周次的疲劳试验数据进行疲劳强度设计并不安全．50^#车轴钢和40Cr钢超声疲劳性能优于常规疲劳性能．扫描电镜分析表明,超长寿命阶段50^#车轴钢裂纹萌生于次表面夹杂．介绍了超声疲劳试验系统、工作原理及超声疲劳试样的设计．     

综合应用连续梁和三维元方法对曲轴的计算

本文介绍了综合应用连续梁及三维有限元方法对曲轴进行的计算，并提出了联接这两种计算方法时的载荷处理方案。这种计算既可考虑相邻曲拐、轴承不同心度和支承刚度等影响因素，又充分利用了三维元计算方法的优点，使计算更接近曲轴工作时的真实变形与应力状况，为曲轴工作的可靠性设计提供了有效依据。     

Activation energy based extreme value statistics and size effect in brittle and quasibrittle fracture

Because the uncertainty in current empirical safety factors for structural strength is far larger than the relative errors of structural analysis, improvements in statistics offer great promise. One improvement, proposed here, is that, for quasibrittle structures of positive geometry, the understrength factors for structural safety cannot be constant but must be increased with structures size. The statistics of safety factors has so far been generally regarded as independent of mechanics, but further progress requires the cumulative distribution function (cdf) to be derived from the mechanics and physics of failure. To predict failure loads of extremely low probability (such as 10^-6 to 10^-7) on which structural design must be based, the cdf of strength of quasibrittle structures of positive geometry is modelled as a chain (or series coupling) of representative volume elements (RVE), each of which is statistically represented by a hierarchical model consisting of bundles (or parallel couplings) of only two long sub-chains, each of them consisting of sub-bundles of two or three long sub-sub-chains of sub-sub-bundles, etc., until the nano-scale of atomic lattice is reached. Based on Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of thermal energies of atoms, the cdf of strength of a nano-scale connection is deduced from the stress dependence of the interatomic activation energy barriers, and is expressed as a function of absolute temperature T and stress-duration τ (or loading rate 1/τ). A salient property of this cdf is a power-law tail of exponent 1. It is shown how the exponent and the length of the power-law tail of cdf of strength is changed by series couplings in chains and by parallel couplings in bundles consisting of elements with either elastic-brittle or elastic-plastic behaviors, bracketing the softening behavior which is more realistic, albeit more difficult to analyze. The power-law tail exponent, which is 1 on the atomistic scale, is raised by the hierarchical statistical model to an exponent of m=10 to 50, representing the Weibull modulus on the structural scale. Its physical meaning is the minimum number of cuts needed to separate the hierarchical model into two separate parts, which should be equal to the number of dominant cracks needed to break the RVE. Thus, the model indicates the Weibull modulus to be governed by the packing of inhomogeneities within an RVE. On the RVE scale, the model yields a broad core of Gaussian cdf (i.e., error function), onto which a short power-law tail of exponent m is grafted at the failure probability of about 0.0001-0.01. The model predicts how the grafting point moves to higher failure probabilities as structure size increases, and also how the grafted cdf depends on T and τ. The model provides a physical proof that, on a large enough scale (equivalent to at least 500 RVEs), quasibrittle structures must follow Weibull distribution with a zero threshold. The experimental histograms with kinks, which have so far been believed to require the use of a finite threshold, are shown to be fitted much better by the present chain-of-RVEs model. For not too small structures, the model is shown to be essentially a discrete equivalent of the previously developed nonlocal Weibull theory, and to match the Type 1 size effect law previously obtained from this theory by asymptotic matching. The mean stochastic response must agree with the cohesive crack model, crack band model and nonlocal damage models. The chain-of-RVEs model can be verified and calibrated from the mean size effect curve, as well as from the kink locations on experimental strength histograms for sufficiently different specimen sizes.     

Experimental strain analysis of the losipescu shear test specimen

An experimental strain analysis of the losipescu shear test specimen was performed, utilizing a 20-ply AS4/3501-6 carbon/epoxy unidirectional composite. Using three-element strain-gage rosettes, it was shown that the presence of loading-point-induced transverse normal strains in the gage section do not affect the measured shear strain. Thus, the shear modulus determined using the standard notch specimen is not affected. Likewise, modulus determination is not influenced by cracking at the notch tips, since this occurs at strains beyond the range over which modulus is determined. To further evaluate the effect of notch-tip cracking, material was removed adjacent to the standard V-notches where these cracks initiate. The measured shear strength was unaffected by removing this material, although the shear modulus was reduced slightly (by as much as eight percent for the more grossly exaggerated geometries). E.Q. Lewis, former graduate student, is now Engineer, Lockheed Corporation.     

SHEAR TEST AND FINITE ELEMENT SIMULATION OF POLYURETHANE POLYMER GROUTING MATERIALS1)

通过扭转试验对高聚物注浆材料剪切性能进行试验研究,并在扫描电子显微镜(scanning electron microscope, SEM) 下观测了试件断面处胞体形状破坏特征,在此基础上通过有限元数值模拟,对其剪切变形力学响应特征及剪应力分布规律进行了研究。结果表明：密度对高聚物材料的剪切强度及剪切模量影响显著,且随着高聚物材料密度的增加,其剪切强度和剪切模量被显著提升;高聚物材料胞体分布遵循能量最低原理,密度越大,胞体表面积越小,表面能越小,体系越稳定;面心立方体堆砌模型可以较好模拟材料剪切变形行为,且密度越大,拟合效果越好。     

A simple multiaxial fatigue criterion for metals

A new simple multiaxial high-cycle fatigue endurance criterion, suitable for situations where the convex hull associated with the stress path approximates well an ellipsoid, is proposed. It considers, as measures of fatigue solicitation: (i) a new definition for the equivalent shear stress amplitude; and (ii) the maximum principal stress along the stress history. Assessment of the resulting criterion for a wide range of in-phase and out-phase cyclic loads shows that it compares very well with experimental data published in the literature. To cite this article: C.A. Gonçalves et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).

Résumé

On propose un critère simple d'endurance à la fatigue polycyclique, applicable à des situations pour lesquelles l'envelope convexe associé à l'histoire des contraintes s'approche bien d'une ellipse. Le critère considère, comme mesures de solicitation à la fatigue : (i) une nouvelle définition de l'amplitude de contrainte de cisaillement ; et (ii) la contrainte principale maximale au cours de l'histoire de chargement. Pour citer cet article : C.A. Gonçalves et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

The mechanical strength of polysilicon films: Part 1. The influence of fabrication governed surface conditions

In an effort to explain the considerable variations in measured mechanical strength of polysilicon films doped with phosphorous for use in MEMS applications, the influence of the specimen manufacturing processes on the mechanical properties has been examined in connection with varying exposure to 49% hydrofluoric acid (HF). It was found that surface roughness as characterized by groove formation along grain boundaries depends on the HF release time. Surface undulations and crevasses related to grain structure result thus in reduced fracture strength and, in addition, induce errors into the determination of the effective elastic modulus—especially when the latter is determined from flexure configurations. Extensive exposure to HF results in pervasive material degradation, as evidenced by a transition from transgranular to intergranular fracture, and a correspondingly precipitous drop of the film strength with attendant increase in grain boundary material removal. Short times of exposure to HF can result in delamination of a thin surface layer, which is sufficient to initiate an “early” failure. Longer exposure allows HF permeation into the intergranular domains, degrading the body of the material significantly. On the other hand, tests on material from a different source that has undergone different doping and post-processing demonstrated a suppression of this degradation resulting in film strengths that are higher by a factor of two or more. Thus, consideration of additional influences of doping and electro-chemical phenomena during the HF wet release, in association with silicon-metal contacts, is necessary.     

Experimental investigation of the behavior of extra high strength steel

This paper comprises a study concerning the mechanical behavior of extra high strength steel. This is investigated by means of biaxial testing of flat cross-shaped specimens in the full σ₁-σ₂ plane, a concept developed earlier at Steel Structures, Luleå University of Technology. Furthermore, new specimen designs had to be developed to enable testing of a material with high yield strength and low ultimate over yield strength ratio, such as the extra high strength steel Weldox 1100. The tests are performed in two steps: one initial loading followed by unloading and a subsequent loading in a new direction. The test results, containing data from 15 biaxial tests, are characterized by a slightly anisotropic initial yield criterion where the proof stress in compression is consequently somewhat higher compared to the results in tension. In the subsequent loading the observed phenomena are a Bauschinger effect in the direction opposite the initial loading direction and that the transition from elastic to plastic state in subsequent loadings is gradual and direction-dependent.     

Determining the Thermoviscoplastic State of Shells of Revolution Subject to Creep Damage

A technique is developed for determining the thermoviscoplastic state of shells of revolution with allowance for creep damage. The technique is based on the hypotheses of rectilinear element and the theory of deformation along paths of small curvature. The equivalent stress appearing in the kinetic equations of damage and creep is determined using a creep-rupture criterion that accounts for the stress mode and the level of irreversible strains. The technique is tested by determining the thermoviscoplastic state and time to failure of tubular specimens under a tensile force and a torque