Browsing by Subject "micromechanics"
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Item A Coupled Micromechanical Model of Moisture-Induced Damage in Asphalt Mixtures: Formulation and Applications(2011-02-22) Caro Spinel, SilviaThe deleterious effect of moisture on the structural integrity of asphalt mixtures has been recognized as one of the main causes of early deterioration of asphalt pavements. This phenomenon, usually referred to as moisture damage, is defined as the progressive loss of structural integrity of the mixture that is primarily caused by the presence of moisture in liquid or vapor state. Moisture damage is associated with the development of different physical, mechanical, and chemical processes occurring within the microstructure of the mixture at different intensities and rates. Although there have been important advancements in identifying and characterizing this phenomenon, there is still a lack of understanding of the damage mechanisms occurring at the microscopic level. This situation has motivated the research work reported in this dissertation. The main objective of this dissertation is to formulate and apply a numerical micromechanical model of moisture-induced damage in asphalt mixtures. The model focuses on coupling the effects of moisture diffusion?one of the three main modes of moisture transport within asphalt mixtures?with the mechanical performance of the microstructure. Specifically, the model aims to account for the effect of moisture diffusion on the degradation of the viscoelastic bulk matrix of the mixture (i.e., cohesive degradation) and on the gradual deterioration of the adhesive bonds between the aggregates and the asphalt matrix (i.e., adhesive degradation). The micromechanical model was applied to study the role of some physical and mechanical properties of the constitutive phases of the mixtures on the susceptibility of the mixture to moisture damage. The results from this analysis suggest that the diffusion coefficients of the asphalt matrix and aggregates, as well as the bond strength of the aggregate-matrix interface, have the most influence on the moisture susceptibility of the mixtures. The micromechanical model was further used to investigate the influence of the void phase of asphalt mixtures on the generation of moisture-related deterioration processes. Two different probabilistic-based approaches were used to accomplish this objective. In the first approach, a volumetric distribution of air voids sizes measured using X-Ray Computed Tomography in a dense-graded asphalt mixture was used to generate probable void structures in a microstructure of an asphalt mixture. In the second approach, a stochastic modeling technique based on random field theory was used to generate probable air voids distributions of the mixture. In this second approach, the influence of the air voids was accounted for by making the physical and mechanical properties of the asphalt matrix dependent on probable voids distributions. Although both approaches take into consideration the characteristics of the air void phase on the mechanical response of the mixtures subjected to moist environments, the former explicitly introduces the air phase within the microstructure while the latter indirectly includes its effects by modifying the material properties of the bulk matrix. The results from these simulations demonstrated that the amount, variability and location of air voids are decisive in determining the moisture-dependent performance of asphalt mixtures. The results from this dissertation provide new information on the kinetics of moisture damage mechanisms in asphalt mixtures. In particular, the results obtained from applying the micromechanical model permitted identification of the relative influence of the characteristics of the constitutive phases of a mixture on its moisture-related mechanical performance. This information can be used as part of design methodologies of asphalt mixtures, and/or as an input in life-cycle analysis models and maintenance programs of road infrastructure.Item A Micromechanical Model for Viscoelastic-Viscoplastic Analysis of Particle Reinforced Composite(2011-02-22) Kim, Jeong SikThis study introduces a time-dependent micromechanical model for a viscoelastic-viscoplastic analysis of particle-reinforced composite and hybrid composite. The studied particle-reinforced composite consists of solid spherical particle and polymer matrix as constituents. Polymer constituent exhibits time-dependent or inelastic responses, while particle constituent is linear elastic. Schapery's viscoelastic integral model is additively combined with a viscoplastic constitutive model. Two viscoplastic models are considered: Perzyna's model and Valanis's endochronic model. A unit-cell model with four particle and polymer sub-cells is generated to obtain homogenized responses of the particle-reinforced composites. A time-integration algorithm is formulated for solving the time-dependent and inelastic constitutive model for the isotropic polymers and nested to the unit-cell model of the particle composites. Available micromechanical models and experimental data in the literature are used to verify the proposed micromechanical model in predicting effective viscoelasticviscoplastic responses of particle-reinforced composites. Filler particles are added to enhance properties of the matrix in the fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The combined fiber and particle reinforced matrix forms a hybrid composite. The proposed micromechanical model of particle-reinforced composites is used to provide homogenized properties of the matrix systems, having filler particles, in the hybrid composites. Three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of composite's microstructures are generated for two hybrid systems having unidirectional long fiber and short fiber embedded in cubic matrix. The micromechanical model is implemented at the material (Gaussian) points of the matrix elements in the 3D FE models. The integrated micromechanical-FE framework is used to examine time-dependent and inelastic behaviors of the hybrid composites.Item Analysis of linear elasticity and non-linearity due to plasticity and material damage in woven and biaxial braided composites(2009-05-15) Goyal, DeepakTextile composites have a wide variety of applications in the aerospace, sports, automobile, marine and medical industries. Due to the availability of a variety of textile architectures and numerous parameters associated with each, optimal design through extensive experimental testing is not practical. Predictive tools are needed to perform virtual experiments of various options. The focus of this research is to develop a better understanding of linear elastic response, plasticity and material damage induced nonlinear behavior and mechanics of load flow in textile composites. Textile composites exhibit multiple scales of complexity. The various textile behaviors are analyzed using a two-scale finite element modeling. A framework to allow use of a wide variety of damage initiation and growth models is proposed. Plasticity induced non-linear behavior of 2x2 braided composites is investigated using a modeling approach based on Hill?s yield function for orthotropic materials. The mechanics of load flow in textile composites is demonstrated using special non-standard postprocessing techniques that not only highlight the important details, but also transform the extensive amount of output data into comprehensible modes of behavior. The investigations show that the damage models differ from each other in terms of amount of degradation as well as the properties to be degraded under a particular failure mode. When compared with experimental data, predictions of some models match well for glass/epoxy composite whereas other?s match well for carbon/epoxy composites. However, all the models predicted very similar response when damage factors were made similar, which shows that the magnitude of damage factors are very important. Full 3D as well as equivalent tape laminate predictions lie within the range of the experimental data for a wide variety of braided composites with different material systems, which validated the plasticity analysis. Conclusions about the effect of fiber type on the degree of plasticity induced non-linearity in a ?25? braid depend on the measure of non-linearity. Investigations about the mechanics of load flow in textile composites bring new insights about the textile behavior. For example, the reasons for existence of transverse shear stress under uni-axial loading and occurrence of stress concentrations at certain locations were explained.Item Micromechanics Modeling of Nonlinear and Time-dependent Responses of Piezoelectric 1-3, 0-3, and Hybrid Composites(2014-04-18) Lin, Chien-HongNonlinear electromechanical and polarization switching behaviors of piezoelectric materials and viscoelastic nature of polymers result in the overall nonlinear and hysteretic responses of active polymeric composites. Understanding the nonlinear behavior of the active polymeric composites is crucial in designing structures comprising of these active materials. This study presents three micromechanical models, i.e., fiber-, particle-, and hybrid-unit-cell models, to study the effective nonlinear and hysteretic electro-mechanical responses of 1-3, 0-3, and hybrid piezocomposites, respectively. The microstructures of the active composites are idealized with periodically distributed arrays of cubic representative unit cells. A unit cell is divided into several subcells. The fiber- and particle-unit-cell models consist of four and eight subcells, respectively. The hybrid-unit-cell model is derived based on the fiber-unit-cell model of 1-3 active composites consisting of fiber and matrix subcells, in which the matrix subcells are comprised of a particle-unit-cell model of 0-3 active composites. In order to obtain the overall nonlinear responses of the active composites linearized micromechanical relations are first used to provide trial solutions followed by iterative schemes in order to correct errors from linearizing the nonlinear responses. The micromechanical predictions are capable in predicting the overall nonlinear electromechanical, time-dependent, and polarization switching responses of active composites available in literature. Parametric studies are also performed to illustrate the effects of microstructural geometry and volume content of the piezoelectric inhomogeneities as well as loading history on the overall nonlinear and hysteretic responses of active composites. Finally, a multi-scale analysis of a functionally graded piezoelectric bimorph actuator using the developed particle-unit-cell model is given as an example of practical applications.Item Micromechanics modeling of the multifunctional nature of carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites(2009-06-02) Seidel, Gary DonThe present work provides a micromechanics approach based on the generalized self-consistent composite cylinders method as a non-Eshelby approach towards for assessing the impact of carbon nanotubes on the multi-functional nature of nanocom-posites in which they are a constituent. Emphasis is placed on the e?ective elastic properties as well as electrical and thermal conductivities of nanocomposites con-sisting of randomly oriented single walled carbon nanotubes in epoxy. The e?ective elastic properties of aligned, as well as clustered and well-dispersed nanotubes in epoxy are discussed in the context of nanotube bundles using both the generalized self-consistent composite cylinders method as well as using computational microme-chanics techniques. In addition, interphase regions are introduced into the composite cylinders assemblages to account for the varying degrees of load transfer between nanotubes and the epoxy as a result of functionalization or lack thereof. Model pre-dictions for randomly oriented nanotubes both with and without interphase regions are compared to measured data from the literature with emphasis placed on assessing the bounds of the e?ective nanocomposite properties based on the uncertainty in the model input parameters. The generalized self-consistent composite cylinders model is also applied to model the electrical and thermal conductivity of carbon nanotube-epoxy nanocomposites. Recent experimental observations of the electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube polymer composites have identi?ed extremely low percolation limits as well as a per-ceived double percolation behavior. Explanations for the extremely low percolation limit for the electrical conductivity of these nanocomposites have included both the creation of conductive networks of nanotubes within the matrix and quantum e?ects such as electron hopping or tunneling. Measurements of the thermal conductivity have also shown a strong dependence on nanoscale e?ects. However, in contrast, these nanoscale e?ects strongly limit the ability of the nanotubes to increase the thermal conductivity of the nanocomposite due to the formation of an interfacial thermal resistance layer between the nanotubes and the surrounding polymer. As such, emphasis is placed here on the incorporation of nanoscale e?ects, such as elec-tron hopping and interfacial thermal resistance, into the generalized self-consistent composite cylinder micromechanics model.Item Modeling Different Failure Mechanisms in Metals(2012-02-14) Zhang, LiangMaterial failure plays an important role in human life. By investigating the failure mechanisms, people can more precisely predict the failure conditions to develop new products, to enhance product performances, and most importantly, to save lives. This work consists of three parts corresponding to three different failure mechanisms in metals, i.e., the localized necking in sheet metals, the bifurcation in bulk and sheet metals, and the ductile fracture induced by the void nucleation, growth, and coalescence. The objective of the first part is to model the localized necking in anisotropic sheet metals to demonstrate that localized geometric softening at a certain stage of deformation rather than the initial defects is the main cause of localized necking. The sheet is assumed to have no initial geometric defects. The deformation process is divided into two stages. The critical strains for a neck to form are obtained from a Consid?re-type criterion. The defect ratio at the neck formation is obtained using an energy-based approach. The neck evolution is considered. A novel failure criterion is proposed. Two types of necks are fond to be most competitive to cause material failure during continued deformation. The forming limit curves are hereby found to exhibit different characteristics in different region. The predicted forming limit curve for 2036-T4 aluminum is found to fit with the experimental results well. The sheet thickness, the strain hardening behavior, and plastic anisotropy are found to affect the sheet metal formability. More realistic yield criterions and strain hardening behaviors can be implemented into the proposed model. This part provides an alternative approach to modeling the localized necking in anisotropic sheet metals. The objective of the second part is to model the bifurcation in anisotropic bulk and sheet metals to couple plastic anisotropy and the strain hardening/softening behavior and also to identify different bifurcation modes in sheet metals. The material is assumed to exhibit a non-linear strain hardening/softening behavior and to obey the Hill-type Drucker-Prager yield criterion along with a non associated flow rule. The constitutive relations and the conditions for bifurcation in bulk and sheet metals are derived. The internal friction coefficient, plastic anisotropy, the terms introduced by the co-rotational stress rates, and the terms introduced by the stress resultant equilibrium are found to affect the onset of bifurcation. Two bifurcation modes are found to exist in sheet metals. More realistic material properties can be implemented into the proposed model. This part provides an applicable approach to modeling the bifurcation in anisotropic bulk and sheet metals. The objective of the third part is to derive the constitutive relations for porous metals using generalized Green?s functions to better understand the micromechanism of the ductile fracture in metals. The porous metals are assumed to consist of an isotropic, rigid-perfectly plastic matrix and numerous periodically distributed voids and to be subject to non-equal biaxial or triaxial extension. Two types of hollow cuboid RVEs are employed represent the typical properties of porous metals with cylindrical and spherical voids. The microscopic velocity fields are obtained using generalized Green?s functions. The constitutive relations are derived using the kinematic approach of the Hill-Mandel homogenization theory and the limit analysis theory. The macroscopic mean stress, the porosity, the unperturbed velocity field, and the void distribution anisotropy are found to affect the macroscopic effective stress and the microscopic effective rate of deformation field. The proposed model is found to provide a rigorous upper bound. More complicated matrix properties (e.g., plastic anisotropy) and void shapes can be implemented into the proposed model. This part provides an alternative approach to deriving the constitutive relations for porous metals.Item Multiscale analysis of nanocomposite and nanofibrous structures(2009-05-15) Unnikrishnan, Vinu UnnithanThe overall goal of the present research is to provide a computationally based methodology to realize the projected extraordinary properties of Carbon Nanotube (CNT)- reinforced composites and polymeric nanofibers for engineering applications. The discovery of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and its derivatives has led to considerable study both experimentally and computationally as carbon based materials are ideally suited for molecular level building blocks for nanoscale systems. Research in nanomechanics is currently focused on the utilization of CNTs as reinforcements in polymer matrices as CNTs have a very high modulus and are extremely light weight. The nanometer dimension of a CNT and its interaction with a polymer chain requires a study involving the coupling of the length scales. This length scale coupling requires analysis in the molecular and higher order levels. The atomistic interactions of the nanotube are studied using molecular dynamic simulations. The elastic properties of neat nanotube as well as doped nanotube are estimated first. The stability of the nanotube under various conditions is also dealt with in this dissertation. The changes in the elastic stiffness of a nanotube when it is embedded in a composite system are also considered. This type of a study is very unique as it gives information on the effect of surrounding materials on the core nanotube. Various configurations of nanotubes and nanocomposites are analyzed in this dissertation. Polymeric nanofibers are an important component in tissue engineering; however, these nanofibers are found to have a complex internal structure. A computational strategy is developed for the first time in this work, where a combined multiscale approach for the estimation of the elastic properties of nanofibers was carried out. This was achieved by using information from the molecular simulations, micromechanical analysis, and subsequently the continuum chain model, which was developed for rope systems. The continuum chain model is modified using properties of the constituent materials in the mesoscale. The results are found to show excellent correlation with experimental measurements. Finally, the entire atomistic to mesoscale analysis was coupled into the macroscale by mathematical homogenization techniques. Two-scale mathematical homogenization, called asymptotic expansion homogenization (AEH), was used for the estimation of the overall effective properties of the systems being analyzed. This work is unique for the formulation of spectral/hp based higher-order finite element methods with AEH. Various nanocomposite and nanofibrous structures are analyzed using this formulation. In summary, in this dissertation the mechanical characteristics of nanotube based composite systems and polymeric nanofibrous systems are analyzed by a seamless integration of processes at different scales.Item The effect of irregular fiber distribution and error in assumed transverse fiber CTE on thermally induced fiber/matrix interfacial stresses(Texas A&M University, 2006-08-16) Zu, Seung-DonThermally induced interfacial stress states between fiber and matrix at cryogenic temperature were studied using three-dimensional finite element based micromechanics. Mismatch of the coefficient of thermal expansion between fiber and matrix, and mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion between plies with different fiber orientation were considered. In order to approximate irregular fiber distributions and to model irregular fiber arrangements, various types of unit cells, which can represent nonuniformity, were constructed and from the results the worst case of fiber distributions that can have serious stress states were suggested. Since it is difficult to measure the fiber transverse coefficient of thermal expansion at the micro scale, there is an uncertainty problem for stress analysis. In order to investigate the effect of error in assumed fiber transverse coefficient of thermal expansion on thermally induced interfacial stresses, systematic studies were carried out. In this paper, the effect of measurement errors on the local stress states will be studied. Also, in order to determine fiber transverse CTE values from lamina properties, a back calculation method is used for various composite systems.