Papers by Keyword: Effective Mechanical Properties

Abstract: When blending rubbers into polymers, different rubber distribution status and fraction due to different mechanical property. In this research, effective mechanical properties of rubber-toughened polymers with four blending fraction in six kinds of particle distribution status are simulated numerically by using finite element method. Rubber particle distribution model include four 2D models and two 3D models. Typical effective mechanical properties such as yield stress, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and stress-strain curve of each status are obtained. The Results show that all models Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio decrease with rubber particle volume fraction increasing. Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of three-dimensional body-centered cubic and face-centered cubic models are in a close magnitude range, it means rubber particle volume fraction has less effect on 2D models and two 3D models. As we all known, Matrix yielding, crazing and interface debond. All play an important role in the toughening process of rubber-toughened polymers. So in this paper we also study on toughening mechanism using same models. Our simulation takes use of stress concentration factor, yield ratio and interface elements' strain difference which is related with matrix yielding, crazing and interface debond to study the toughening mechanism. Simulation shows that the maximum stress concentration factor increases with particle volume fraction. The shear yielding occurs first at the equator of rubber particle, and then yield region expands from the equator to the pole of the particle with loads increasing.

Abstract: Deformation, fracture and effective mechanical properties of sintered ceramics composite under uniaxial compression were studied. To perform this investigation the plain numerical model of ceramics composites based on oxides of zirconium and aluminum with different structural parameters was developed. The model construction was carried out within the frame of particle based method, namely the movable cellular automaton method (MCA). The implementation of the phase transition in the MCA-model composite was carried out on the basis of the phenomenological approach, the main point of which was the formulation of the principle of irreversible mechanical behavior of the material. Increase the fracture toughness of ceramics after (T-M) transition in its structure was realized in the model by introducing transition kinetics of the automata pair from "bound" to an "unbound" state. The structure of model composite was generated on the basis of scanning electron microscope images of micro-sections of real composite. The influence of such structural parameters as geometrical dimensions of layers, inclusions, and their spatial distribution in the sample, volume content of the composite components and their mechanical properties, as well as the amount of zirconium dioxide undergone the phase transformation on the mechanical response were investigated

Abstract: Combining the contact elements into the two-scale homogenization method, the effective mechanical properties of nano-composites with a debonding interface are analyzed. A periodic microscopic representative volume element (RVE) is modeled by using a four-phase composite composed of matrix, nano-tube, bonded, and debonding interfaces. The initial stress and coulomb's friction are considered within debonding interface, which is applied to transfer the shear stress produced by the relative slip between nano-tube and matrix, and a simple elastic–plastic constitutive model is established to study the effective mechanical properties of nano-composites. The predicted results show a strong non-linear dependence of the effective mechanical properties on the elastic modulus, volume fraction, debonding length and the ratio of length with thickness of interface.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effective mechanical properties of composite ceramic with randomly distributed multi-phase inclusions. The RVE finite element subcell technique based on numerical homogenization theory is used to separate the multi-phase composite into the layered unit cell models which are generated by a modified random sequential adsorption algorithm (RSA). The numerical results are also compared and verified with experiment data.

Abstract: In this paper, the global-local homogenization method is applied for two kinds of equivalent continuum models to analyze the effective mechanical properties of single-walled carbon nano tube (CNT). The material and geometric parameters are provided by equating the molecular potential energy of nano-structure material with the strain energy of equivalent continuum tube and equivalent continuum frame. The results show that global-local homogenization method is effective to investigate the mechanical properties of single-walled nano-structure with a reasonable selection for equivalent continuum models (representative volume element RVE). The variations of the effective Young’s modulus with chiral parameters, thickness of models and poisson’s ratio of carbon nanotube are discussed for both zig-zag and armchair configurations. Comparing with the results from other classical methods, the homogenization method with equivalent continuum models can give moderate and stable results.

Abstract: The numerical prediction of the effective mechanical properties of the reinforced braid inserted in automobile power steering hose is addressed. The key role of the reinforced braid layer is to suppress the excessive radial expansion of the hose subject to high pressure and temperature. The reinforced braid layer is in the structure composed of wrap and fill tows inclined to each with the specific helix angle. In order to predict the effective mechanical properties, we construct a 3-D finite element model of the unit cell (or RVE) of the reinforced braid in a periodic pattern, in which the detailed geometry of individual fiber tows is fully modeled. By making use of the superposition method and the 3-D finite element analysis, the effective mechanical properties are predicted. Numerical experiments illustrating the theoretical work are also presented.

Abstract: Theoretical formulas for effective elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio of honeycomb core materials were proposed considering the bending, axial and shear deformations of cell walls. Theoretical results obtained by the formulas showed orthotropic elasticity and large Poisson’s ratio, which were comparable to results by finite element analysis(FEA). Tensile test of honeycomb sandwich composite(HSC) plates was performed for analysis of their deformation behaviors and interlaminar stresses. Equivalent plate model using the theoretical results of honeycomb core layer show that interlaminar shear stress occurring due to large difference of Poisson’s ratio between skin and honeycomb core layers led to the delamination in HSC plate under tensile loading. Load-displacement behavior of HSC specimen simulated by equivalent plate model coincided fairly with that of detailed FEA model similar to experimental results.