Papers by Author: Masaki Omiya

Abstract: Experimental works using a drop weight impact test method have been performed on a circular sheet specimen to evaluate and to characterize the impact resistance of the sheet-type plastic components designed for automotive wheel covers. Evaluation has been conducted for a set of engineering plastics: polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and their blend (PC/ABS). The testing results showed that the PC/ABS blend specimens failed in brittle manner under higher impact speeds with very few of whitening zones. Secondary cracks captured perpendicular to fracture surface were also found in the mid-plane of the scattered PC/ABS blend specimens. Investigation is then focused on this blend and the testing results describe that impact resistance of the specimen made of this alternative material is determined by ABS not by PC. Combination of structures between PC and ABS through the thickness in the core due to their immiscibility was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) on the etched PC/ABS specimen. This latter result well correlates the results obtained from the testing. It therefore reveals that immiscibility between PC and ABS in the blend plays an important role in determining the impact resistance of the components. This paper also presents simulative results of the test obtained from a FEA work by introducing a 3D- layered finite element (FE) model of the PC/ABS specimen to take into account effect of a layer in the core on the behavior of the blend.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the cyclic interfacial strength between thin film and its substrate by cyclic nano-indentation tests. The specimen used in this study is PET substrate/ITO coatings layered specimen. From the indentation load and displacement curve, we proposed an evaluation method for the interfacial strength. The results are good agreement with the interfacial strength evaluated by peel test. After cyclic indentations, the surface profile was observed by atomic force microscope. The number of elongates increased with indentation cycles when the indentation load is low, whereas elongates number is almost constant under high load cases. These phenomena can be explained by simple models. In this study, two types of fracture modes are proposed. They are “subsidiary fracture mode” and “buckling mode”.

Abstract: The stochastic nature of aluminum foam structure, having a random distribution of voids, makes it difficult to model its compressive deformation behavior accurately. In this paper, a 2-dimensional simplified modeling approach is introduced to analyze the compressive deformation behavior that occurs in Alporas aluminum foam (Al foam). This has been achieved using image analysis on real undeformed aluminum foam images obtained by VHX-100 digital microscope. Finite element mesh for the cross sectional model is generated with Object Oriented Finite element (OOF) method combined with ABAQUS structural analysis. It is expected that OOF modeling enable prediction of the origin of failure in terms of localized deformation with respect to the microstructural details. Furthermore, strain concentration sites leading to the evolution of the deformation band can be visualized. Thus, this investigation addresses the local inhomogeneity in the Al foam structure. This study implies that the OOF modeling approach combined with experimental observations can provide better insight into the understanding of aluminum foam compressive deformation behavior.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of ultra-violet (UV) ray irradiation on the crack formation of brittle ceramic coating on polymer substrate. It is well known that ultra-violet ray irradiation degrades the mechanical properties of polymer and polymer-based coating films. We carried out the tensile tests of PET/ITO film specimen after UV irradiation under the microscope and observed the crack formation on ITO surface. Also, we carried out nano-indentation tests of PET substrate after removing ITO layer to characterize the change of the mechanical properties near the interface between PET and ITO. The results show that the number of cracks vertical to loading direction and the rate of vertical crack formation decreased after UV irradiation. Hardness and Young’s modulus of PET substrate increase due to the oxidation of PET after UV irradiation. To explain the relationship between the crack formation and mechanical property change, the energy release rates of the thin film channeling cracks are considered.

Abstract: The main objective of this study is to measure and characterize the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic syntactic foams at the intermediate and high strain rates. The syntactic foam consists of the elastically deformable microballoons in the polypropylene matrix. The four types of syntactic foams and one polypropylene bulk specimen are prepared at same manufacturing process: 0, 20, 30, 40 and 50 volume percent of microballoons. Tensile tests are conducted at nominal strain rates ranging from 10-1 to 102 (1/sec). Elastic modulus, yield stress and rupture strain are measured and the effects of microballoons on the mechanical properties are studied. In addition, fracture surfaces are observed with ESEM (Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy). Finally, the changes of fracture mode due to microballoons are discussed.

Abstract: Adhesives are widely used in industrial world. However, it is difficult to characterize their mechanical properties because those strongly depend on environmental and mechanical conditions such as temperature, humidity or strain rate. In this paper, we focus on the strain rate dependence of the interfacial strength and investigate the interfacial strength by peel tests under several peel rates. The results show that, in low rate case (under 10-2 mm/s), the interfacial strength was constant and, in middle rate case (10-2 to 103 mm/s), the interfacial strength increased with the peel rate. Over 103 mm/s case, the interfacial strength became lower than those in middle rate cases. From the observation of peeling front by a high speed video camera, the deformation behavior of adhesives changed with the peel rate.

Abstract: An instrumented-drop weight impact test carried out at room temperature under a range of loading rates was applied to study the deformation and failure behaviors of PC/ABS (50/50) blends. Actually, these blends have different type of ABS, one grade of the blends is the blend containing small-sized particles of rubber and another grade is the blend containing larger-sized particles of rubber in the ABS systems. Testing results showed that both of the blends generally exhibited similar behaviors but they were totally different under 3 m/sec. A weld line-like formation captured on the fracture surface was found in each of the blends. Preliminary study using scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated that crack also propagated along the weld line. Fracture of the blends might be initially induced due to fracture of the weld lines. Hence, it has been suspected as a factor affecting behavior of the blends. Since existence of the weld line-like formation has not been found in fractured ABS materials, it is necessary to point out the complex relationship among of the ABS composition, the existence of the weld line and the weld line quality in the blends. A finite element (FE) simulation of the testing was carried in order to determine whether the weld line strength is significant enough affects the behaviors. Although the model was generated using estimated failure criterion for the weld line, the simulation results showed that weld line strength might influence the blends behavior.

Abstract: Based on previous available constitutive models, a phenomenological constitutive model has been constructed and is proposed to describe the strain, strain rate and temperature dependentdeformation behavior of PC/ABS blends. In this paper, four quasi-static uniaxial tension tests of a specimen tested at different strain rates and temperatures were used to identify the constitutive model constants. By using the proposed constitutive model, predicting the stress-strain behavior of the PC/ABS blend tested at certain strain rate and different temperatures compares well to the behavior exhibited from the tests. From comparison between the DSGZ and the proposed models, proposed model shows a better prediction. Evaluation of the proposed constitutive model was also presented and it has revealed that the proposed model might have a potential to be used for predicting a wide range of temperatures and high strain rates behavior of PC/ABS blends.

Abstract: A new specimen is proposed to measure the interfacial toughness between the Al-0.5%Cu thin film and the Si substrate. The plain and general micro-fabrication processes are sufficient to fabricate the specimen. With the help of the finite element method and the concepts of the linear elastic fracture mechanics, the detailed structure for this specimen is modeled and evaluated. The results obtained from this research show that the proposed specimen provides efficient and convenient method to measure the interfacial toughness between the Al-Cu thin film and the Si substrate.

Abstract: This aim of this study is to investigate the effect of UV (Ultra Violet ray) irradiation on the interfacial adhesion strength between thin ceramic films and polymer substrate. Electric conductive films based on polymer substrates have attracted attention for use in flexible optoelectronic devices. It is well known that the mechanical properties of polymeric materials are degraded by UV irradiation. Therefore, it is considered that the UV irradiation also affects the interfacial adhesion strength between ceramic coating and polymer substrate. The interfacial adhesion strength was measured by Multi-stages peel test. The results show that the interfacial strength decreases with UV irradiation. However, if a filter layer is installed between ceramic and polymer substrate, the degradation ratio becomes small.