A Study of Composite Beam with Shape Memory Alloy Arbitrarily Embedded under Thermal and Mechanical Loadings

The constitutive relations and kinematic assumptions on the composite beam with shape memory alloy (SMA) arbitrarily embedded are discussed and the results related to the different kinematic assumptions are compared. As the approach of mechanics of materials is to study the composite beam with the SMA layer embedded, the kinematic assumption is vital. In this paper, we systematically study the kinematic assumptions influence on the composite beam deflection and vibration characteristics. Based on the different kinematic assumptions, the equations of equilibrium/motion are different. Here three widely used kinematic assumptions are presented and the equations of equilibrium/motion are derived accordingly. As the three kinematic assumptions change from the simple to the complex one, the governing equations evolve from the linear to the nonlinear ones. For the nonlinear equations of equilibrium, the numerical solution is obtained by using Galerkin discretization method and Newton-Rhapson iteration method. The analysis on the numerical difficulty of using Galerkin method on the post-buckling analysis is presented. For the post-buckling analysis, finite element method is applied to avoid the difficulty due to the singularity occurred in Galerkin method. The natural frequencies of the composite beam with the nonlinear governing equation, which are obtained by directly linearizing the equations and locally linearizing the equations around each equilibrium, are compared. The influences of the SMA layer thickness and the shift from neutral axis on the deflection, buckling and post-buckling are also investigated. This paper presents a very general way to treat thermo-mechanical properties of the composite beam with SMA arbitrarily embedded. The governing equations for each kinematic assumption consist of a third order and a fourth order differential equation with a total of seven boundary conditions. Some previous studies on the SMA layer either ignore the thermal constraint effect or implicitly assume that the SMA is symmetrically embedded. The composite beam with the SMA layer asymmetrically embedded is studied here, in which symmetric embedding is a special case. Based on the different kinematic assumptions, the results are different depending on the deflection magnitude because of the nonlinear hardening effect due to the (large) deflection. And this difference is systematically compared for both the deflection and the natural frequencies. For simple kinematic assumption, the governing equations are linear and analytical solution is available. But as the deflection increases to the large magnitude, the simple kinematic assumption does not really reflect the structural deflection and the complex one must be used. During the systematic comparison of computational results due to the different kinematic assumptions, the application range of the simple kinematic assumption is also evaluated. Besides the equilibrium study of the composite laminate with SMA embedded, the buckling, post-buckling, free and forced vibrations of the composite beam with the different configurations are also studied and compared.

Structural and Mechanical Properties of the Organic Matrix Layers of Nacre

The type of nanostructure referred to in biomineralization as a mineral bridge has been directly observed and measured in the organic matrix layers of nacre by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Statistical analysis provides the geometric characteristics and a distribution law of the mineral bridges in the organic matrix layers. Experiments reveal that the nanostructures significantly influences the mechanical properties of the organic matrix layers. In addition, the mechanical analysis illustrates the effects of the nanostructures on the behaviors of the organic matrix layers, and the analytical results explain the corresponding experimental phenomena fairly well. The present study shows that the mineral bridges play a key role in the mechanical performances of the organic matrix layers of nacre. The results obtained provide a guide to the interfacial design of synthetic materials.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of slowly cooled Cu47.5Zr47.5Al5

Cu47.5Zr47.5Al5 was prepared by arc melting and solidified in situ by suction casting into 2-5-mm-diameter rods under various cooling rates (200-2000 K/s). The microstructure was investigated along the length of the rods by electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical properties were investigated under compression. The microstructure of differently prepared specimens consists of macroscopic spherical shape chemically inhomogeneous regions together with a low volume fraction of randomly distributed CuZr B2 phase embedded in a 2-7 nm size clustered "glassy-martensite" matrix. The as-cast specimens show high yield strength (1721 MPa), pronounced work-hardening behavior up to 2116 MPa and large fracture strain up to 12.1-15.1%. The fracture strain decreases with increasing casting diameter. The presence of chemical inhomogenities and nanoscale "glassy-martensite" features are beneficial for improving the inherent ductility of the metallic glass.

Study on Mechanical Properties of Nanocrystal Surface Layer of an Aluminum Alloy

The nanocrystal surface layer of an aluminum alloy induced by High Speed Shot Peening (HSSP) was investigated in this paper. The results of nanoindentation experiment show that the elastic modulus and the hardness of nanocrystal surface layer increased,by 8% and 20%, respectively. The elastic modulus and the hardness appear to be independent of the distance from nanocrystalized surface and the process time.

Effect of Nb Content on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Zr-Cu-Ni-Al-Nb Glass Forming Alloys

(Zr65Al10Ni10Cu15)(100-x) Nb-x glass forming alloys with Nb contents ranging from 0 to 15 at.% were prepared by water-cooled copper mould cast. The alloys with different Nb contents exhibited different microstructures and mechanical properties. Unlike the monolithic Zr65Al10Ni10Cu15 bulk metallic glass, only a few primary bee beta-Ti phase dendrites were found to distribute in the glassy matrix of the alloys with x = 5. For alloys with x = 10, more beta-phase dendrites forms, together with quasicrystalline particles densely distributed in the matrix of the alloys. For alloys with x = 15, the microstructure of the alloy is dominated by a high density of fully developed P-phase dendrites and the volume fraction of quasicrystalline particles significantly decreases. Room temperature compression tests showed that the alloys with x = 5 failed at 1793 MPa and exhibited an obvious plastic strain of 3.05%, while the other samples all failed in a brittle manner. The ultimate fracture strengths are 1793, 1975 and 1572 MPa for the alloys with x = 0, 10 and 15 at.% Nb, respectively.

Further analysis of indentation loading curves: Effects of tip rounding on mechanical property measurements

The effects of indenter tip rounding on the shape of indentation loading curves have been analyzed using dimensional and finite element analysis for conical indentation in elastic-perfectly plastic solids. A method for obtaining mechanical properties from indentation loading curves is then proposed. The validity of this method is examined using finite element analysis. Finally, the method is used to determine the yield strength of several materials for which the indentation loading curves are available in the literature.

Grain Refinement at the Nanoscale Via Mechanical Twinning and Dislocation Interaction in a Nickel-Based Alloy

A nanostructured surface layer was formed on an Inconel 600 plate by subjecting it to surface mechanical attrition treatment at room temperature. Transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the treated surface layer were carried out to reveal the underlying grain refinement mechanism. Experimental observations showed that the strain-induced nanocrystallization in the current sample occurred via formation of mechanical microtwins and subsequent interaction of the microtwins with dislocations in the surface layer. The development of high-density dislocation arrays inside the twin-matrix lamellae provides precursors for grain boundaries that subdivide the nanometer-thick lamellae into equiaxed, nanometer-sized grains with random orientations.

Mechanical effects of the self-organization of dislocations and related critical characteristics

The effects of the dislocation pattern formed due to the self-organization of the dislocations in crystals on the macroscopic hardening and dynamic internal friction (DIF) during deformation are studied. The classic dislocation models for the hardening and DIF corresponding to the homogeneous dislocation configuration are extended to the case for the non-homogeneous one. In addition, using the result of dislocation patterning deduced from the non-linear dlislocation dynamics model for single slip, the correlation between the dislocation pattern and hardening as well as DIF is obtained. It is shown that in the case of the tension with a constant strain rate, the bifurcation point of dislocation patterning corresponds to the turning point in the stress versus strain and DIF versus strain curves. This result along with the critical characteristics of the macroscopic behavior near the bifurcation point is microscopically and macroscopically in agreement with the experimental findings on mono-crystalline pure aluminum at temperatures around 0.5T(m). The present study suggests that measuring the DIF would be a sensitive and useful mechanical means in order to study the critical phenomenon of materials during deformation.

Relationship Between Contact Stiffness, Contact Depth, and Mechanical Properties for Indentation in Linear Viscoelastic Solids Using Axisymmetric Indenters

We derive a relationship between the initial unloading slope, contact depth, and the instantaneous relaxation modulus for indentation in linear viscoelastic solids by a rigid indenter with an arbitrary axisymmetric smooth profile. Although the same expres

Microstructure and mechanical behaviour of a SiC particles reinforced Al-5Cu composite under dynamic loading

The mechanical behaviour of a composite of Al–5Cu matrix reinforced with 15% SiC particles was studied at different strain rates from 1×10−3 to 2.5×103 s−1 using both a conventional universal testing machine (for low strain-rate tests) and a split Hopkinson bar (for tests at dynamic strain rates). Whilst the yield stress of the composite increases as the strain rate increases, the maximum flow stresses, 440 MPa for compression and 450 MPa for tension, are independent of strain rate. The microstructures and defect structures of the deformed composite were studied with both scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and were correlated to the observed mechanical behaviour. Fracture surface studies of samples after dynamic tensile testing indicates that failure of the composite is controlled by ductile failure of the aluminium matrix by the nucleation, growth and coalescence of voids.

Effects of pre-treatment and plasma enhancement on chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes from ultra-thin catalyst films

We report a detailed study of surface-bound chemical vapor deposition of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers from evaporated transition metal catalysts exposed to ammonia diluted acetylene. We show that a reduction of the Fe/Co catalyst film thickness below 3 nm results into a transition from large diameter (> 40 nm), bamboo-like nanofibers to small diameter (similar to 5 nm) multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The nanostructuring of ultrathin catalyst films critically depends on the gas atmosphere, with the resulting island distribution initiating the carbon nucleation. Compared to purely thermal chemical vapor deposition, we find that, for small diameter nanotube growth, DC plasma assistance is detrimental to graphitization and sample homogeneity and cannot prevent an early catalyst poisoning. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.