Failure mechanisms in brittle laminates

Steady-state tunneling and plane-strain delamination of an H-shape crack are examined for elastic, isotropic multi layers. Both tunneling and delamination are analysed by employing linear elastic fracture mechanics within a 2D finite element framework. Failure maps are produced to reveal the sensitivity of cracking path to the relative toughness of layer and interface, and to the stiffness mismatch of layers.

Failure mechanisms in fibrous scaffolds.

Polymeric fibrous scaffolds have been considered as replacements for load-bearing soft tissues, because of their ability to mimic the microstructure of natural tissues. Poor toughness of fibrous materials results in failure, which is an issue of importance to both engineering and medical practice. The toughness of fibrous materials depends on the ability of the microstructure to develop toughening mechanisms. However, such toughening mechanisms are still not well understood, because the detailed evolution at the microscopic level is difficult to visualize. A novel and simple method was developed, namely, a sample-taping technique, to examine the detailed failure mechanisms of fibrous microstructures. This technique was compared with in situ fracture testing by scanning electron microscopy. Examination of three types of fibrous networks showed that two different failure modes occurred in fibrous scaffolds. For brittle cracking in gelatin electrospun scaffolds, the random network morphology around the crack tip remained during crack propagation. For ductile failure in polycaprolactone electrospun scaffolds and nonwoven fabrics, the random network deformed via fiber rearrangement, and a large number of fiber bundles formed across the region in front of the notch tip. These fiber bundles not only accommodated mechanical strain, but also resisted crack propagation and thus toughened the fibrous scaffolds. Such understanding provides insight for the production of fibrous materials with enhanced toughness.

A systematic approach for improving the quality of official statistics: Case of Korean information and telecommunication industry

With the rapid growth of information and communication technology (ICT) in Korea, there was a need to improve the quality of official ICT statistics. In order to do this, various factors had to be considered, such as the quality of surveying, processing, and output as well as the reputation of the statistical agency. We used PLS estimation to determine how these factors might influence customer satisfaction. Furthermore, through a comparison of associated satisfaction indices, we provided feedback to the responsible statistics agency. It appears that our model can be used as a tool for improving the quality of official ICT statistics. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using mesoscopic models to design strong and tough biomimetic polymer networks

Using computational modeling, we investigate the mechanical properties of polymeric materials composed of coiled chains, or "globules", which encompass a folded secondary structure and are cross-linked by labile bonds to form a macroscopic network. In the presence of an applied force, the globules can unfold into linear chains and thereby dissipate energy as the network is deformed; the latter attribute can contribute to the toughness of the material. Our goal is to determine how to tailor the labile intra- and intermolecular bonds within the network to produce material exhibiting both toughness and strength. Herein, we use the lattice spring model (LSM) to simulate the globules and the cross-linked network. We also utilize our modified Hierarchical Bell model (MHBM) to simulate the rupture and reforming of N parallel bonds. By applying a tensile deformation, we demonstrate that the mechanical properties of the system are sensitive to the values of N in and N out, the respective values of N for the intra- and intermolecular bonds. We find that the strength of the material is mainly controlled by the value of N out, with the higher value of N out providing a stronger material. We also find that, if N in is smaller than N out, the globules can unfold under the tensile load before the sample fractures and, in this manner, can increase the ductility of the sample. Our results provide effective strategies for exploiting relatively weak, labile interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding or the thiol/disulfide exchange reaction) in both the intra- and intermolecular bonds to tailor the macroscopic performance of the materials. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Failure mechanisms in fibrous scaffolds

Polymeric fibrous scaffolds have been considered as replacements for load-bearing soft tissues, because of their ability to mimic the microstructure of natural tissues. Poor toughness of fibrous materials results in failure, which is an issue of importance to both engineering and medical practice. The toughness of fibrous materials depends on the ability of the microstructure to develop toughening mechanisms. However, such toughening mechanisms are still not well understood, because the detailed evolution at the microscopic level is difficult to visualize. A novel and simple method was developed, namely, a sample-taping technique, to examine the detailed failure mechanisms of fibrous microstructures. This technique was compared with in situ fracture testing by scanning electron microscopy. Examination of three types of fibrous networks showed that two different failure modes occurred in fibrous scaffolds. For brittle cracking in gelatin electrospun scaffolds, the random network morphology around the crack tip remained during crack propagation. For ductile failure in polycaprolactone electrospun scaffolds and nonwoven fabrics, the random network deformed via fiber rearrangement, and a large number of fiber bundles formed across the region in front of the notch tip. These fiber bundles not only accommodated mechanical strain, but also resisted crack propagation and thus toughened the fibrous scaffolds. Such understanding provides insight for the production of fibrous materials with enhanced toughness. © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micro-architectured solids: From blast resistant structures to morphing wings

Classes of lattice material are reviewed, and their fracture response is explored in the context of the core of a sandwich panel. Attention is focussed on the strength of a sandwich plate with centre-cracked core made from an elastic-brittle square lattice. Predictions are summarised for the un-notched strength of the sandwiched core and for the fracture toughness of the lattice under remote tension, remote compression or remote shear. It is assumed that the lattice fails when the local stress in the cell walls attains the tensile or compressive strength of the solid, or when local buckling occurs. The local failure mechanism that dictates the unnotched strength may be different from that dictating the fracture toughness. Fracture mechanism maps are generated in order to reveal the dominant local failure mechanism for any given cell wall material.

Modeling mode i fracture of bitumen films

The fracture behavior of thin films of bitumen in double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens was investigated over a wide range of temperature and loading rate conditions using finite-element analysis. The model includes a phenomenological model for the mechanical behavior of bitumen, implemented into a special-purpose finite-element user material subroutine, combined with a cohesive zone model (CZM) for simulating the fracture process. The finite-element model is validated against experimental results from laboratory tests of DCB specimens by comparing measured and predicted load-line deflection histories and fracture energy release rates. Computer simulation results agreed well with experimental data of DCB joints containing bitumen films in terms of peak stress, fracture toughness, and stress-strain history response. The predicted "normalized toughness," G=2h, was found to increase in a power-law manner with effective temperaturecompensated strain rate in the ductile region as previously observed experimentally. In the brittle regime, G=2h is virtually constant. The model successfully captured the ductile and brittle failure behavior of bitumen films in opening mode (tension) for stable crack growth conditions. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.

An analysis of competing toughening mechanisms in layered and particulate solids

The relative potency of common toughening mechanisms is explored for layered solids and particulate solids, with an emphasis on crack multiplication and plasticity. First, the enhancement in toughness due to a parallel array of cracks in an elastic solid is explored, and the stability of co-operative cracking is quantified. Second, the degree of synergistic toughening is determined for combined crack penetration and crack kinking at the tip of a macroscopic, mode I crack; specifically, the asymptotic problem of self-similar crack advance (penetration mode) versus 90 ° symmetric kinking is considered for an isotropic, homogeneous solid with weak interfaces. Each interface is treated as a cohesive zone of finite strength and toughness. Third, the degree of toughening associated with crack multiplication is assessed for a particulate solid comprising isotropic elastic grains of hexagonal shape, bonded by cohesive zones of finite strength and toughness. The study concludes with the prediction of R-curves for a mode I crack in a multi-layer stack of elastic and elastic-plastic solids. A detailed comparison of the potency of the above mechanisms and their practical application are given. In broad terms, crack tip kinking can be highly potent, whereas multiple cracking is difficult to activate under quasi-static conditions. Plastic dissipation can give a significant toughening in multi-layers especially at the nanoscale. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Fracture of brittle lattice materials: A review

The mechanics of failure for elastic-brittle lattice materials is reviewed. Closed-form expressions are summarized for fracture toughness as a function of relative density for a wide range of periodic lattices. A variety of theoretical and numerical approaches has been developed in the literature and in the main the predictions coincide for any given topology. However, there are discrepancies and the underlying reasons for these are highlighted. The role of imperfections at the cell wall level can be accounted for by Weibull analysis. Nevertheless, defects can also arise on the meso-scale in the form of misplaced joints, wavy cell walls and randomly distributed missing cell walls. These degrade the macroscopic fracture toughness of the lattice. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Multi-hit ballistic damage characterisation of 304 stainless steel plates with finite elements

Multi-impact of projectiles on thin 304 stainless steel plates is investigated to assess the degradation of ballistic performance, and to characterise the inherent mechanisms. Assessment of ballistic degradation is by means of a double-impact of rigid spheres at the same site on a circular clamped plate. The limiting velocity of the second impact, will be altered by the velocity of the antecedent impact. Finite element analyses were used to elucidate experimental results and understand the underlying mechanisms that give rise to the performance degradation. The effect of strength and ductility on the single and multi-impact performance was also considered. The model captured the experimental results with excellent agreement. Moreover, the material parameters used within the model were exclusively obtained from published works with no fitting or calibration required. An attempt is made to quantify the elevation of the ballistic limit of thin plates by the dynamic mechanism of travelling hinges. Key conclusions: The multi-hit performance scales linearly with the single-hit performance; and strength is a significantly greater effector of increased ballistic limit than ductility, even at the expense of toughness. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Viscoelastic analysis of single-component and composite PEG and alginate hydrogels

Hydrogels, three-dimensional hydrophilic polymer networks, are appealing candidate materials for studying the cellular microenvironment as their substantial water content helps to better mimic soft tissue. However, hydrogels can lack mechanical stiffness, strength, and toughness. Composite hydrogel systems have been shown to improve upon mechanical properties compared to their singlecomponent counterparts. Poly (ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) and alginate are polymers that have been used to form hydrogels for biological applications. Singlecomponent and composite PEGDMA and alginate systems were fabricated with a range of total polymer concentrations. Bulk gels were mechanically characterized using spherical indentation testing and a viscoelastic analysis framework. An increase in shear modulus with increasing polymer concentration was demonstrated for all systems. Alginate hydrogels were shown to have a smaller viscoelastic ratio than the PEGDMA gels, indicating more extensive relaxation over time. Composite alginate and PEGDMA hydrogels exhibited a combination of the mechanical properties of the constituents, as well as a qualitative increase in toughness. Additionally, multiple hydrogel systems were produced that had similar shear moduli, but different viscoelastic behaviors. Accurate measurement of the mechanical properties of hydrogels is necessary in order to determine what parameters are key in modeling the cellular microenvironment. © 2014 The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics; Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Thermal shock resistance of air plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings

The spallation resistance of an air plasma sprayed (APS) thermal barrier coating (TBC) to cool-down/reheat is evaluated for a pre-existing delamination crack. The delamination emanates from a vertical crack through the coating and resides at the interface between coating and underlying thermally grown oxide layer (TGO). The coating progressively sinters during engine operation, and this leads to a depth-dependent increase in modulus. Following high temperature exposure, the coating is subjected to a cooling/reheating cycle representative of engine shut-down and start-up. The interfacial stress intensity factors are calculated for the delamination crack over this thermal cycle and are compared with the mode-dependent fracture toughness of the interface between sintered APS and TGO. The study reveals the role played by microstructural evolution during sintering in dictating the spallation life of the thermal barrier coating, and also describes a test method for the measurement of delamination toughness of a thin coating. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

La2Zr2O7的增韧及陶瓷纤维的制备

La2Zr2O7是一种近年来才提出的新型热障涂层材料，该材料熔点高，在熔点以下不发生相变，热导率低，抗烧结及没有氧传输发生，这些特点使得它作为一种高温下应用的热障涂层材料越来越引起人们的重视。但是，由于该材料的热膨胀系数和断裂韧性比较低，它的实际应用受到了限制。 在本论文中，使用高压烧结的方法获得了致密化的纳米La2Zr2O7块体材料，并对其断裂韧性和热膨胀系数进行了研究。得到的La2Zr2O7纳米材料的断裂韧性和热膨胀系数分别为1.98MPam1/2和9.6×10-6K-1 (200-1000℃)，这些数值明显高于非纳米的La2Zr2O7陶瓷(断裂韧性和热膨胀系数分别为1.40 MPam1/2 和 9.1×10-6 K-1，该结果表明纳米化是一种提高材料断裂韧性和热膨胀系数的有效方法。在La2Zr2O7纳米粉末中加入8YSZ纳米颗粒，高压烧结后使其颗粒充分生长，在得到的复相化合物中观察到形成了类似棒状晶体的自增韧相，使得复合材料的断裂韧性(1.88 MPam1/2)比La2Zr2O7有所提高，甚至超过了同样条件下制备的8YSZ样品的断裂韧性。 La2Zr2O7的断裂韧性也可以通过在基体中添加BaTiO3铁电材料得到明显的提高。当添加BaTiO3的体积含量达到10vol％时，4.5GPa，1450℃高压烧结10min得到的复合材料断裂韧性达1.98 MPam1/2，明显高于同条件下烧结的La2Zr2O7 (1.60MPam1/2)。应力诱导下BaTiO3的电畴转向是主要的增韧原因。随着BaTiO3颗粒添加的体积含量增加，复相化合物的热膨胀系数也明显提高。当掺杂20vol％BaTiO3时，得到的复合材料平均热膨胀系数达到10.2×10-6K-1 (150~1200℃)。 我们通过在4.5GPa, 1650℃高压烧结5min的方法还获得了掺杂YAG纳米颗粒的La2Zr2O7纳米复相陶瓷。在室温下测量了材料的维氏硬度，并通过压痕裂纹长度计算出了材料的断裂韧性。随着YAG纳米颗粒体积含量的增加，纳米复相陶瓷的断裂韧性和维氏硬度都依次增加，当添加20vol％的YAG纳米颗粒时达到最大，分别为1.93 MPam1/2和11.45GPa。断裂韧性增加的机理可归结为以下三点：一是YAG纳米颗粒的添加提高了La2Zr2O7基体的晶界强度，二是基体晶粒尺寸变化的影响，三是YAG纳米颗粒对裂纹的偏转和钉扎作用。添加微米YAG颗粒的复相化合物因为和纳米复相陶瓷具有不同的增韧机制，因此断裂韧性的变化趋势也不相同，在掺入10vol％的YAG微米颗粒时，复合材料的断裂韧性最大，而后降低，当掺入YAG微米粒子的体积含量达到20vol％时，断裂韧性甚至低于La2Zr2O7。 从20世纪90年代开始，电纺作为一种合成纤维的办法越来越吸引人们的注意。其合成的纤维长度长，直径均匀，并且组成范围很广。最初，电纺只是被用来合成一些有机聚合物的纤维，最近，很多研究组开始致力于使用电纺的方法合成复合纤维或者陶瓷纤维。 在本论文中，我们使用电纺的方法获得了La2Zr2O7纳米纤维和SiC单晶纳米线。1000℃煅烧得到的La2Zr2O7纳米纤维具有烧绿石结构，直径在200~500nm之间。同样的温度煅烧时得到的La2Zr2O7纳米纤维的比表面积要明显高于粉末样品的，表明纤维的抗烧结性能比粉末的高。得到的SiC纳米线直径在50~100nm之间，表面有一约5nm厚的无定形的SiO2薄层。 使用电纺的方法，恰当的控制煅烧条件，我们获得了La2Ce2O7， La2(Zr0.745Ce0.386)2O7.524和8YSZ中空纤维。这种中空结构减小了粒子之间的接触面积，提高了材料的抗烧结性能。在扫描电镜分析的基础上，我们总结了这些中空纤维的形成过程。

Interface energy and its influence on interface fracture between metal and ceramic thin films in nanoscale

A theoretical model about the size-dependent interface energy between two thin films with different materials is developed by considering the chemical bonding contribution based on the thermodynamic expressions and the structure strain contribution based on the mechanical characteristics. The interface energy decreases with reducing thickness of thin films, and is determined by such available thermodynamic and mechanical parameters as the melting entropy, the melting enthalpy, the shear modulus of two materials, etc. The predicted interface energies of some metal/MgO and metal/Al2O3 interfaces based on the model are consistent with the results based on the molecular mechanics calculation. Furthermore, the interface fracture properties of Ag/MgO and Ni/Al2O3 based on the atomistic simulation are further compared with each other. The fracture strength and the toughness of the interface with the smaller structure interface energy are both found to be lower. The intrinsic relations among the interface energy, the interface strength, and the fracture toughness are discussed by introducing the related interface potential and the interface stress. The microscopic interface fracture toughness is found to equal the structure interface energy in nanoscale, and the microscopic fracture strength is proportional to the fracture toughness. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3501090]

热喷涂涂层界面断裂韧性的反向三点弯曲法试验

以热喷涂NiCrBSi涂层/钢基体为材料模型,利用将涂层置于受压侧的反向三点弯曲法试验,对热喷涂涂层界面断裂现象进行分析并建立相应的界面断裂韧性计算模型.结果表明,界面裂纹起始于三点弯曲试样中部,对应于加载压头与涂层接触区域正下方的界面上,并向两侧扩展,伴随涂层屈曲,形成分层屈曲的破坏形貌.根据分层屈曲形貌建立计算模型,通过分层屈曲几何参数与屈曲临界应力、涂层内真实应力以及界面断裂韧性的关系,获得界面断裂韧性值.