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At least 127 records · Page 7

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NASA NTRS1991

Comparison of some micromechanics models for discontinuously reinforced metal matrix composites

A systematic experimental evaluation of whisker and particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composites was conducted to assess the variation in tensile properties with reinforcement type, volume fraction, and specimen thickness. Each material was evaluated in three thicknesses, 1.8, 3.18, and 6.35 mm, to determine the size, distribution, and orientation of the reinforcements. This information was used to evaluate several micromechanical models that predict composite moduli. The longitudinal and transverse moduli were predicted for reinforced aluminum. The Paul model, the Cox model and the Halpin-Tsai model were evaluated. The Paul model gave a good upper bound prediction for the particulate reinforced composites but under predicted whisker reinforced composite moduli. The Cox model gave good moduli predictions for the whisker reinforcement, but was too low for the particulate. The Halpin-Tsai model gave good results for both whisker and particulate reinforced composites. An approach using a trigonometric projection of whisker length to predict the fiber contribution to the modulus in the longitudinal and transverse directions was compared to the more conventional lamination theory approach.

Johnson, W. S.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A semi-micromechanic interlaminar strain analysis on curved-beam specimens

Experimental analyses were performed for determination of interlaminar strains in circumferentially unidirectional curved beam specimens. Semi-circular and semi-elliptic carbon-epoxy specimens were subjected to opening mode tensile loadings. Whole field measurements were recorded at load levels from about 5 to more than 90 pct of failure loads. Contour maps of displacement fields were obtained by using moire interferometry, using reference gratings of 2400 lines/mm or 60,690 lines/in. Whole field contour maps of circumferential and interlaminar strains were obtained by using moire interferometry in a semi-micromechanic scale. Various anomalous effects were observed in the displacement fields. The zig-zag fringe patterns indicated that the fiber orientation in each layer was not truly circumferential. This deviation from the unidirectionality caused free-edge effects, such as interlaminar shear strains even at the axis of symmetry and the altered normal strains in the thickness direction. In the resin rich zones between layers, the tensile interlaminar strain was excessively large due to the large compliance. As the result of the combined effect of these anomalous behaviors, the values of the interlaminar tensile strains were larger than those predicted analytically. The modulus E sub 3 was actually smaller than the assumed value E sub 2 by 20 pct.

Joh, Duksung↗

NASA NTRS1992

COMGEN-BEM: Boundary element model generation for composite materials micromechanical analysis

Composite Model Generation-Boundary Element Method (COMGEN-BEM) is a program developed in PATRAN command language (PCL) which generates boundary element models of continuous fiber composites at the micromechanical (constituent) scale. Based on the entry of a few simple parameters such as fiber volume fraction and fiber diameter, the model geometry and boundary element model are generated. In addition, various mesh densities, material properties, fiber orientation angles, loads, and boundary conditions can be specified. The generated model can then be translated to a format consistent with a boundary element analysis code such as BEST-CMS.

Goldberg, Robert K.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Recent developments in the micromechanics of advanced composites

A summary of recent developments and results in the area of inelastic response of advanced composites obtained with the micromechanics model proposed by Aboudi is presented. The recent developments include investigation of linear viscoelastic response of polymer matrix composites and yielding and elastoplastic response of metal matrix composites. The predictive capability and accuracy of the model is demonstrated through comparison of the predicted results with experimental data and results of finite-element analyses.

Pindera, M.-J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

A macro-micromechanics analysis of a notched metal matrix composite

Macro- and micromechanics analysis were conducted to determine the matrix and fiber behaviors near the notch in a center-notched metal-matrix composite. In this approach, the macrolevel analysis models the entire notched specimen using a 3D finite element program that uses the vanishing-fiber-diameter model to simulate the elastic-plastic behavior of the matrix and the elastic behavior of the fiber. The microlevel behavior is analyzed using a discrete fiber-matrix model containing one fiber and the surrounding matrix. The viability of this analysis is demonstrated using results for a boron/aluminum monolayer.

Bigelow, Catherine A.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Micromechanical model of crack growth in fiber reinforced brittle materials

A model based on the micromechanical mechanism of crack growth resistance in fiber reinforced ceramics is presented. The formulation of the model is based on a small scale geometry of a macrocrack with a bridging zone, the process zone, which governs the resistance mechanism. The effect of high toughness of the fibers in retardation of the crack advance, and the significance of the fiber pullout mechanism on the crack growth resistance, are reflected in this model. The model allows one to address issues such as influence of fiber spacing, fiber flexibility, and fiber matrix friction. Two approaches were used. One represents the fracture initiation and concentrated on the development of the first microcracks between fibers. An exact closed form solution was obtained for this case. The second case deals with the development of an array of microcracks between fibers forming the bridging zone. An implicit exact solution is formed for this case. In both cases, a discrete fiber distribution is incorporated into the solution.

Rubinstein, Asher A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Micromechanics of metal matrix composites using the Generalized Method of Cells model (GMC) user's guide

A user's guide for the program gmc.f is presented. The program is based on the generalized method of cells model (GMC) which is capable via a micromechanical analysis, of predicting the overall, inelastic behavior of unidirectional, multi-phase composites from the knowledge of the properties of the viscoplastic constituents. In particular, the program is sufficiently general to predict the response of unidirectional composites having variable fiber shapes and arrays.

Aboudi, Jacob↗

NASA NTRS1992

Micromechanical combined stress analysis: MICSTRAN, a user manual

Composite materials are currently being used in aerospace and other applications. The ability to tailor the composite properties by the appropriate selection of its constituents, the fiber and matrix, is a major advantage of composite materials. The Micromechanical Combined Stress Analysis (MICSTRAN) code provides the materials engineer with a user-friendly personal computer (PC) based tool to calculate overall composite properties given the constituent fiber and matrix properties. To assess the ability of the composite to carry structural loads, the materials engineer also needs to calculate the internal stresses in the composite material. MICSTRAN is a simple tool to calculate such internal stresses with a composite ply under combined thermomechanical loading. It assumes that the fibers have a circular cross-section and are arranged either in a repeating square or diamond array pattern within a ply. It uses a classical elasticity solution technique that has been demonstrated to calculate accurate stress results. Input to the program consists of transversely isotropic fiber properties and isotropic matrix properties such as moduli, Poisson's ratios, coefficients of thermal expansion, and volume fraction. Output consists of overall thermoelastic constants and stresses. Stresses can be computed under the combined action of thermal, transverse, longitudinal, transverse shear, and longitudinal shear loadings. Stress output can be requested along the fiber-matrix interface, the model boundaries, circular arcs, or at user-specified points located anywhere in the model. The MICSTRAN program is Windows compatible and takes advantage of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface which facilitates multitasking and extends memory access far beyond the limits imposed by the DOS operating system.

Naik, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Micromechanics of crenulated fibers in carbon/carbon composites

The influence of crenulated noncircular fibers on the micromechanical stress states due to a transverse strain and to a temperature change in carbon/carbon composites is examined using the finite element method. Stresses at the interface of both fully bonded and fully disbonded fibers having two crenulation amplitudes and with two fiber volume fractions are presented. In each case, these interface stresses are compared to stresses at the interface of circular fibers which have the same degree of disbond and fiber volume fraction and are under the same loading conditions. For the disbonded cases, deformed meshes showing locations of fiber/matrix contact are also included. In addition to the interface stress states, selected composite properties are also computed and compared in each case examined. Interest in studying noncircular fibers stems from a desire to increase the transverse properties of carbon/carbon by introducing a mechanical interlocking between the fiber and the matrix. Results presented here indicate that this interlocking does in fact occur. Evidence from the interface stress data suggests, however, that any possible advantage of this interlocking may be outweighed by the disadvantage of stress concentrations which arise at the interface due to the crenulated geometry of the fibers.

Carapella, E. E.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Ultrasonic and micromechanical study of damage and elastic properties of SiC/RBSN ceramic composites

Ultrasonic techniques are employed to develop methods for nondestructive evaluation of elastic properties and damage in SiC/RBSN composites. To incorporate imperfect boundary conditions between fibers and matrix into a micromechanical model, a model of fibers having effective anisotropic properties is introduced. By inverting Hashin's (1979) microstructural model for a composite material with microscopic constituents the effective fiber properties were found from ultrasonic measurements. Ultrasonic measurements indicate that damage due to thermal shock is located near the surface, so the surface wave is most appropriate for estimation of the ultimate strength reduction and critical temperature of thermal shock. It is concluded that bonding between laminates of SiC/RBSN composites is severely weakened by thermal oxidation. Generally, nondestructive evaluation of thermal oxidation effects and thermal shock shows good correlation with measurements previously performed by destructive methods.

Chu, Y. C.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Micromechanics thermal stress analysis of composites for space structure applications

This paper presents results from a finite element micromechanics analysis of thermally induced stresses in composites at cryogenic temperatures typical of spacecraft operating environments. The influence of microstructural geometry, constituent and interphase properties, and laminate orientation were investigated. Stress field results indicated that significant matrix stresses occur in composites exposed to typical spacecraft thermal excursions; these stresses varied with laminate orientation and circumferential position around the fiber. The major difference in the predicted response of unidirectional and multidirectional laminates was the presence of tensile radial stresses, at the fiber/matrix interface, in multidirectional laminates with off-axis ply angles greater than 15 deg. The predicted damage initiation temperatures and modes were in good agreement with experimental data for both low (207 GPa) and high (517 GPa) modulus carbon fiber/epoxy composites.

Bowles, David E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Probabilistic micromechanics for metal matrix composites

A probabilistic micromechanics-based nonlinear analysis procedure is developed to predict and quantify the variability in the properties of high temperature metal matrix composites. Monte Carlo simulation is used to model the probabilistic distributions of the constituent level properties including fiber, matrix, and interphase properties, volume and void ratios, strengths, fiber misalignment, and nonlinear empirical parameters. The procedure predicts the resultant ply properties and quantifies their statistical scatter. Graphite copper and Silicon Carbide Titanlum Aluminide (SCS-6 TI15) unidirectional plies are considered to demonstrate the predictive capabilities. The procedure is believed to have a high potential for use in material characterization and selection to precede and assist in experimental studies of new high temperature metal matrix composites.

Engelstad, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Axisymmetric micromechanics of elastic-perfectly plastic fibrous composites under uniaxial tension loading

The uniaxial response of a continuous fiber elastic-perfectly plastic composite is modeled herein as a two-element composite cylinder. An axisymmetric analytical micromechanics solution is obtained for the rate-independent elastic-plastic response of the two-element composite cylinder subjected to tensile loading in the fiber direction for the case wherein the core fiber is assumed to be a transversely isotropic elastic-plastic material obeying the Tsai-Hill yield criterion, with yielding simulating fiber failure. The matrix is assumed to be an isotropic elastic-plastic material obeying the Tresca yield criterion. It is found that there are three different circumstances that depend on the fiber and matrix properties: fiber yield, followed by matrix yielding; complete matrix yield, followed by fiber yielding; and partial matrix yield, followed by fiber yielding, followed by complete matrix yield. The order in which these phenomena occur is shown to have a pronounced effect on the predicted uniaxial effective composite response.

Lee, Jong-Won↗

NASA NTRS1990

Micromechanical thermal analysis of interphase region in a titanium aluminide MMC

The high reactivity between the fiber and matrix in silicon carbide/titanium aluminide MMCs leads to the formation of brittle reaction products at the fiber/matrix (F/M) interface. Also, the high thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between the fiber and matrix leads to high tensile residual stresses at the F/M interface, and this can lead to premature cracking during cooldown. One solution to these problems is the use of a metallic fiber coating like Ta which acts as an F/M diffusion barrier and reacts with the matrix to form a beta stabilized compliant layer. A finite element micromechanics analysis was performed to study the effects of Ta and beta interphase layers on the thermal residual stresses during consolidation. A 5-micron-thick beta layer reduced cool-down stresses by 8 percent compared to a 2 percent reduction computed for a Ta layer of the same thickness. Plastic yielding in the Ta was not effective in reducing cool-down stresses. Compliant alpha-2 particles next to the stiffer gamma particles reduced stresses in the gamma particles by less than 2 percent. A simple closed form analysis was developed to calculate thermal residual stresses in a fiber/interphase/matrix system. A 2-micron-thick Ag interphase layer was found to reduce residual stresses by about 11 percent.

Naik, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Micromechanical modeling of laminated composites with interfaces and woven composites using the boundary element method

The boundary element method is utilized to analyze the effects of fiber/matrix interfaces on the micromechanical behavior of laminated composites as well as the elastic behavior of woven composites. Effective composite properties are computed for laminated SiC/RBSN and SiC/Ti-15-3 composites, as well as a woven SiC/SiC composite. The properties calculated using the computerized tool BEST-CMS match the experimental results well.

Goldberg, Robert K.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Micromechanical analysis of thermo-inelastic multiphase short-fiber composites

A micromechanical formulation is presented for the prediction of the overall thermo-inelastic behavior of multiphase composites which consist of short fibers. The analysis is an extension of the generalized method of cells that was previously derived for inelastic composites with continuous fibers, and the reliability of which was critically examined in several situations. The resulting three dimensional formulation is extremely general, wherein the analysis of thermo-inelastic composites with continuous fibers as well as particulate and porous inelastic materials are merely special cases.

Aboudi, Jacob↗

NASA NTRS1994

Study of multiple cracks in airplane fuselage by micromechanics and complex variables

Innovative numerical techniques for two dimensional elastic and elastic-plastic multiple crack problems are presented using micromechanics concepts and complex variables. The simplicity and the accuracy of the proposed method will enable us to carry out the multiple-site fatigue crack propagation analyses for airplane fuselage by incorporating such features as the curvilinear crack path, plastic deformation, coalescence of cracks, etc.

Denda, Mitsunori↗

NASA NTRS1995

On the Finite Element Implementation of the Generalized Method of Cells Micromechanics Constitutive Model

The Generalized Method of Cells (GMC), a micromechanics based constitutive model, is implemented into the finite element code MARC using the user subroutine HYPELA. Comparisons in terms of transverse deformation response, micro stress and strain distributions, and required CPU time are presented for GMC and finite element models of fiber/matrix unit cell. GMC is shown to provide comparable predictions of the composite behavior and requires significantly less CPU time as compared to a finite element analysis of the unit cell. Details as to the organization of the HYPELA code are provided with the actual HYPELA code included in the appendix.

Wilt, T. E.↗