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Khafagy, Khaled H.

Publications and source records attributed to Khafagy, Khaled H..

High-fidelity micromechanical modeling of the effects of defects on damage and creep behavior in single tow ceramic matrix composite

Despite the superior properties of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), their fabrication process generates inevitable defects with high density that significantly influence material integrity and residual useful life. Recent efforts have focused on CMC property prediction and investigation of their different inelastic mechanisms, but very limited work exists on understanding the influence of defects on inelastic responses of CMCs. Here, we introduce a three-dimensional micromechanics computational framework that includes experimentally informed material microstructure and architectural variabilities to investigate CMC response in the presence of manufacturing-induced defects. A developed microstructure generation algorithm is used to generate the representative volume elements in the micromechanics models from complex material morphology information obtained from extensive characterization studies of C/SiNC and SiC/SiNC CMCs. A fracture mechanics-informed matrix damage model is reformulated, in which the model considers the growth of porosity and microcracks in the as-received material. A progressive fiber damage model as well as Orthotropic viscoplasticity creep formulation are also utilized for the study. This methodology is implemented within the micromechanics framework to investigate the complex temperature- and time-dependent load transfer and damage mechanisms of CMCs under operation loading conditions. The developed framework explores the influence of as-received defects on the damage and creep behavior in service conditions. It also provides new insights into the effect of size, shape, distribution, and location of these defects on material response. The framework is then calibrated with unidirectional CMC minicomposite results available in the literature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Deep Neural Network Algorithm for CMC Microstructure Characterization and Variability Quantification

Microstructure characterization and variability quantification are crucial for understanding ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) mechanical behavior and deformation mechanisms across length scales. Traditionally, analyses of the micrographs obtained from microscopy are labor-intensive. However, with the vast improvement in computer vision (CV) and deep learning (DL), an automated algorithm can be designed to extract essential microstructure variability from micrographs which can then be used to construct a statistically representative volume element (SRVE). The DL-based algorithm spans the taxonomy of microstructure analyses, including semantic segmentation of microstructure constituents, secondary phases, matrix/fiber interface, and defects, and quantifying the microstructure variability in terms of probability distributions. In this work, C/SiNC and SiC/SiNC CMCs microstructures are semantically segmented through a deep convolutional neural network, followed by variability quantification through the implementation of a fully connected regression layer, hence forming a deep regression network. The deep regression network operates in a feedforward regime, in which the neuron output signal traverses through the network in a unidirectional manner. The weight tensor associated with each layer is updated through a backpropagation stochastic gradient descent approach. The input gray-scale image obtained through in-house scanning electron microscope and confocal microscope micrographs is augmented through affine transformations to increase the training set size, which is then processed through four strided convolutional layers. This compresses the image resolution by half at each layer while increasing the image depth by applying different filters (image encoding). The class activation maps (CAMs) corresponding to the applied filters highlight the key architectural features and assist with the semantic segmentation of the microstructure.

Hamza, Mohamed H.↗