Compressive Response of Smart Mg-NiTi Interpenetrating Phase Composites Comprising Functionally Graded Schwarz-P Surfaces: A Numerical Study

Abstract:

This study numerically investigates functionally graded (FG) interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) comprising nitinol (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) microstructure as smart architected reinforcement phase. This architected SMA phase is modeled with FG Schwarz-Primitive (P) triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS that is embedded with Pure magnesium (Mg) as a second-phase elastoplastic material. This unique material combination can provide the superelastic and phase transformation capabilities of NiTi alongside the lightweight and damping properties of Mg material. The functional response and phase transformation characteristics of NiTi SMA are embedded by using an in-house developed material subroutine constitutive model in finite element software Abaqus. The effective properties of the Mg-NiTi FG IPCs are evaluated using a three-unit-cell-based Representative Volume Element (RVE) approach subjected to periodic boundary conditions. The effective functional response includes the elastic stiffness and yield strength, as well as the phase transformation characteristics and martensitic phase evolution of the FG P-TPMS lattices within the IPCs. Additionally, the influence of the concentration of NiTi SMA and functional grading of TPMS structures on stress distribution and phase transformation is thoroughly analyzed. These results are evaluated based on the concentration and grading of NiTi TPMS phase on the FG TPMS IPCs. Results show that increasing NiTi content enhances both the elastic stiffness and strength of the Mg-NiTi composite, with phase transformation initiating at stress-concentrated neck regions of the P TPMS lattice. Whereas the functional grading causes localized stress near regions with minimal cross-sectional area, particularly at the necks between adjacent unit cells, making these zones identified as critical to early transformation and potential failure. This novel FG Mg-NiTi TPMS IPC offers a promising pathway toward lightweight, high-performance multifunctional materials.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1194)
• Pages: 133-140
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-2Xwjon
• Online since: June 2026
• Authors: Shahzaib Ilyas, Mohamad Mustafa Khalil, Wael Zaki, Marwan El-Rich*
• Keywords: Functionally Graded Materials, Interpenetrating Phase Composites (IPCs), Nitinol (NiTi), Phase Transformation, Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS)

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