The dependence of the strength of zinc sulphide on temperature and environment

The dependence of the strength of zinc sulphide on temperature, environment, surface finish and specimen size has been assessed. Room-temperature fracture stresses were determined using a bursting disc geometry for a number of different surface finishes and for two different sample sizes. High and low-temperature fracture stresses in a dry nitrogen atmosphere were obtained from experiments using the Brazilian test geometry and showed that the average strength of the material remained above or equal to the room-temperature value within the range –70 to +600 °C. The Brazilian test is an indirect tensile technique which is attractive for its experimental simplicity but gives fracture stress values which are consistently below those obtained by direct tensile techniques. The data from this test were therefore compared at room temperature to results obtained from the bursting disc test on samples which had been prepared using the same techniques. The possibility of delayed failure through environmentally enhanced slow crack growth was evaluated using the double-torsion technique which revealed slow crack growth below the critical stress intensity factor.     

The Effect of Size on the Splitting Strength of Cubic Concrete Members

In the study of concrete fractures, split‐tension specimens, such as cylinders, cubes and diagonal cubes, are frequently preferred to beams. However, experimental investigations on concrete reveal that for the same specimen geometry, the nominal strength of specimen decreases with increasing specimen size. This phenomenon is named as the size effect in the fracture mechanics of concrete. Although nominal strength is also highly affected by the width of the distributed load in the split‐tension cylinder and cube specimens, this effect can be negligible within the practical range of the load‐distributed width in the diagonal cubes. However, the number of theoretical and experimental studies with diagonal split‐tension specimens is limited. Besides, a size effect formula for estimating the split‐tensile strength of the diagonal cube specimens has not been proposed. In this study, nine series of cube and diagonal cube specimens, with three different sizes but similar geometries, were tested under different load‐distributed widths. The ultimate loads obtained from the test results are analysed by the modified size effect law. Subsequently, prediction formulas are proposed, and they are compared with historical test data from the split‐cylinder specimens.     

Investigation of fiber/matrix adhesion: test speed and specimen shape effects in the cylinder test

The cylinder test, developed from the microdroplet test, was adapted to assess the interfacial adhesion strength between fiber and matrix. The sensitivity of cylinder test to pull-out speed and specimen geometry was measured. It was established that the effect of test speed can be described as a superposition of two opposite, simultaneous effects which have been modeled mathematically by fitting two parameter Weibull curves on the measured data. Effects of the cylinder size and its geometrical relation on the measured strength values have been analyzed by finite element method. It was concluded that the geometry has a direct influence on the stress formation. Based on the results achieved, recommendations were given on how to perform the novel single fiber cylinder test.     

Failure assessment on central-sharp notched carbon/epoxy laminates

Fracture models to predict the strength of laminated composites having sharp notches demand the un-notched strength and the critical damage size ahead of the notch. The critical damage size, in general, depends on the material, geometry of the specimen and size of the sharp notch. The extraordinary success of a fracture model lies in its ability to combine a theoretical framework with experimentally measured quantities. Modifications are made in one of the stress-fracture criteria known as the point stress criterion for accurate prediction of notched tensile strength of composite laminates containing sharp notches. To examine the adequacy of these modifications, fracture data of central-sharp notched carbon/epoxy composite laminates with various lay-ups are considered. The notched strength estimates are found to be close to the test results. The modified point stress criterion is very simple and accurate in predicting the notched tensile strength of laminated composites.     

On the mechanical characterization of materials by Arcan-type specimens

The simple circular notched specimen was originally proposed by Arcan to characterize the elastic properties of fibre-reinforced composites. Unfortunately, its optimized geometry does not allow to measure with reasonable accuracy both the material shear strength and the conditions of failure under a generic biaxial stress state, since the effects of stress concentration on the fillets of the two V-grooves and on the inner circular edges are responsible of premature fractures due to the uniaxial stress states of the notch edges.In a previous numerical study carried out by a parametric two-dimensional finite element model, some of the Authors of this paper found a new optimal geometry of the Arcan specimen able to minimize the notch effect and achieve a uniform pure shear stress field in the gauge cross-section. In the present paper, starting from such a geometry, a new type of Arcan specimen is proposed, having not uniform thickness. An extensive three-dimensional parametric finite element analysis has been done to define its optimal shape. The numerical results show that the new specimen is able to achieve, with a higher probability, material fracture in the minimum cross-section under a pure shear stress distribution which is more uniform than those acting in the Arcan specimen typologies until now proposed.     

Size effect and boundary conditions in the brazilian test: theoretical analysis

Splitting strength determined in the Brazilian test is assumed to be a property independent of size and uniquely related to the intrinsic material strength. However, as was experimentally demonstrated by various authors, the splitting strength depends on the specimen size. In this paper, the size effect in the Brazilian test is analyzed theoretically using a nonlinear fracture model based on cohesive crack concepts and the results obtained are compared with the classical strength limit approach. Two important variables are studied: the load-bearing strip and the geometry of the specimen. From the numerical results a closed form expression is proposed, dependent on the width of the bearing strip and on geometry. The results confirm that splitting strength decreases with the specimen size, tending towards an asymptotic solution for large size specimens. Within the size range analyzed (0.1 m to 2.5 m diameter for typical concrete) the splitting strength can vary by up to 25% in cylindrical specimens and by up to 35% in prismatic square section specimens, although this size effect is strongly dependent on the load-bearing strip. For widths of bearing strip smaller than 4% of the specimen diameter, the effect of the specimen size is negligible and the splitting strength approaches the tensile strength for any practical specimen size.     

Tensile testing of silicon thin films

The tensile strength of silicon thin films was investigated using a specimen chucking system dedicated for microscale specimens. The system uses electrostatic force to fix and hold the free end of the cantilever‐shaped specimens. The thin film tensile tester was built using this system. The accuracy and reliability of this method were assured by comparing it with other tensile‐testing methods using single‐crystal silicon specimens. The result shows good agreement between the testing methods. The strength properties of polysilicon thin films, such as the effect of the testing environment and the specimen size and the film fabrication conditions, were investigated.     

两种形状试样的室温旋转弯曲疲劳性能的对比分析

选用三种汽轮机叶片材料,对室温旋转弯曲疲劳试验常用的圆柱形试样和漏斗形试样分别进行了旋转弯曲疲劳试验,对两种形状试样的试验结果进行了对比分析。提出了试样形状系数的概念,由试验结果可得漏斗形试样和圆柱形试样旋转弯曲疲劳强度的试样形状系数为1.1。分别概括了两种形状试样的疲劳强度与抗拉强度的关系式,并从应力和挠度两个方面对漏斗形试样的疲劳强度大于圆柱形试样的原因进行了分析。     

Determination of adhesion strength between a coated particle and polymer matrix

The aim of the paper is to provide the theoretical basis for a test to determine the interfacial adhesion strength between a coated particle and a polymer matrix material. The specimen has a notched (neck-like) geometry and contains a single coated particle in the centre. A non-linear relation between the true stress and logarithmic strain is considered for the interphase. Tensile axial loading of such a necked sample concentrates stresses in the smallest cross-section and causes a multiaxial loading situation in the centre of the specimen, i.e., in the vicinity of the enclosed particle. By variation of sample curvature the distribution of normal tensile stresses at the interface between particle and coating can be changed. This enables the variation of the interface area which is under tensile stress. A finite-element analysis provides the stress field within the whole specimen and especially in the vicinity of the coated particle. The motivation for the calculations is to determine the maximum radial stress at the particle surface as a function of applied load. Assuming that normal stresses at the interface are responsible for debonding, the adhesion strength can be obtained from the experimentally determined critical load at debonding initiation.     

Evaluation of the IITRI compression test method for stiffness and strength determination

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the IITRI Compression Test Method for measuring the axial compressive modulus and strength of composite materials possessing a high degree of anisotropy in the axial direction. The influence of material anisotropy and test specimen geometry on the data reduction scheme used to characterize the axial compressive modulus and ultimate strength is examined. The findings demonstrate that ASTM D3410 specimen geometries, recommended for the IITRI and Celanese compression test methods, may not always be appropriate for materials that are highly anisotropic in nature. The significance of the findings on appropriate specimen design for thick section laminates is also discussed. An error investigation is included which demonstrates to what extent the experimentally determined compressive modulus may be affected if careful consideration of the specimen geometry is not made. This investigation utilizes the finite element method and an elasticity solution based on Saint-Venant's principle for an upper bound estimate on stress decay length in a parametric study involving combinations of specimen geometries with varying material anisotropy. A methodology is presented for sizing specimen geometries as a function of material anisotropy that ensures accurate determination of the linear elastic axial compressive modulus and provides an estimate of the maximum amount of axial strain that can be tolerated prior to Euler buckling induced failure. Based on the degree of material anisotropy and anticipated failure strain, the appropriateness of the test method for a given material system can be evaluated.     

Effect of size and location of spherical pores on transverse rupture strength of WC-Co cemented carbides

The effect of the size and location of spherical pores on the transverse rupture strength of WC-10Co cemented carbides was investigated. Based on the observations of fractographies of the transverse rupture test specimens, it was found that the cracks in WC-10Co cemented carbides initiate from the spherical closed pores near the surface, not from the open pores at the surface. The relationship between the transverse rupture strength and the size and location of the spherical pores was analyzed considering the stress field near the spherical shaped pores. In this analysis, for one spherical pore, a critical location exists within the specimen where the transverse rupture strength is minimized, but not on the surface of the specimen. By considering the various sizes and locations of pores, a map showing the transverse rupture strength according to the location and size of pores was obtained.     

Experimental evaluation of fatigue behaviour of thin Al5456 welded joints

Because of wide applications of welded structures in different industries, using design codes and standards such as IIW recommendations is known as a safe and common method to design welded joints. The weld geometry and thickness of welded joint are the most important parameters that affect the fatigue strength of welded joints. In the present study, the fatigue behaviour of thin Al5456 butt‐welded joints has been investigated, and the effect of thickness on fatigue strength has been evaluated. Contrary to the above‐mentioned recommendations about thin welded joints, it was shown that the thickness of welded joints affects the fatigue strength. Moreover, the fatigue test results have been compared with the IIW design recommendations for three well‐known approaches in order to analyse the reliability of the codes. According to the design stress‐life diagrams, it was found that in some cases, the fatigue strength has much larger values than the IIW predictions, and IIW‐based design causes an over conservative design. While in some other cases, the fatigue strength is lower than IIW recommendations, and it leads to a non‐conservative design. Based on the experimental results, the new values for slope of S‐N curve and FAT have been proposed in order to improve the design diagrams.     

Fatigue damage mechanics of composite materials Part III: Prediction of post-fatigue strength

A damage-based model for post-fatigue notch strength is presented. The model is an extension of a method developed previously to predict the notch strength of laminated composites. A simple finite element representation of the notch tip damage zone is used to obtain the localized damage-modified stress distribution. A uniaxial tensile stress failure criterion is applied to the 0° plies from which the laminate strength is evaluated. In conjunction with the fatigue damage growth law described in Part II, residual strength is calculated as a function of the applied loading conditions, specimen geometry and lay-up for (90/0)_s, (90/0)_2s and (90₂/0₂)_s T300/914C carbon-fibre/epoxy laminates subjected to tension-tension fatigue cycling.     

Numerical study of compact shear (Mode II) type test specimen geometry

The Iosipescu shear test specimen geometry has been investigated by a number of research workers in recent years with conflicting results. The paper describes a numerical study of a compact shear test specimen, based on the Iosipescu geometry, which is proposed to investigate size effects in shear failure. A range of geometries has been studied and the extreme cases are reported. Results are presented for the largest absolute principal stresses together with a detailed study of the stresses between and around the roots of the two notches introduced in the test specimens. The results for the largest absolute principal stresses show that tensile stresses are created at the roots of the two notches. These tensile stresses may result in Mode I failure and probably account for the Mode I or mixed mode fracture observed in tests using the Iosipescu geometry. The results for the distribution of stresses between the roots of the two notches show that deep notches increase the likelihood of shear fracture prior to tensile failure. Shallow notches give a stress distribution similar to that developed in the indirect tensile test and hence tensile failure is likely to precede shear failure in such cases. Further numerical and experimental work is proposed.      

Effects of geometry and specimen size on out-of-plane tensile strength of aligned CFRP determined by direct tensile method

The out-of-plane tensile strength of CFRP laminate determined by the direct tensile method varies with specimen geometry and size. This effect was first experimentally observed using aligned CFRP. To explain the geometry and size effects from a mechanical point of view, an analytical model combining Weibull statistics, including the concept of effective volume, and a fracture criterion under multi-axial loading was constructed on the basis of stress distributions calculated using the finite element method. The predicted out-of-plane tensile strength of aligned CFRP was found to be consistent with experimental results. Thus, the present model is useful for reducing experimentally determined out-of-plane tensile strength under complex stress distributions to that under a uniaxial and uniform stress distribution.     

A multifractal analysis of fatigue crack growth and its application to concrete

As is well-known, strength of materials is influenced by the specimen or structure size. In particular, several experimental campaigns have shown a decrease of the material strength under static or fatigue loading with increasing structure size, and some theoretical arguments have been proposed to interpret such a phenomenon. As far as fatigue crack growth is concerned, limited information on size effect is available in the literature, particularly for so-called quasi-brittle materials like concrete. In the present paper, by exploiting concepts of fractal geometry, some definitions of fracture energy and stress intensity factor based on physical dimensions different from the classical ones are discussed. A multifractal size-dependent fatigue crack growth law (expressing crack growth rate against stress intensity factor range) is proposed and used to interpret relevant experimental data related to concrete.     

Critical Examination of the Iosipescu Shear Test as Applied to 0degrees Unidirectional Composite Materials

Several issues regarding the application of the shear and biaxial Iosipescu tests for the shear strength characterization of unidirectional composite materials are addressed in this article. First, the nonlinear effects of specimen sliding and geometric nonlinearity on the mechanical response of 0degrees standard unidirectional graphite/polyimide Iosipescu specimens with different loading conditions and loading block geometries have been investigated. Second, an attempt has been made to improve the Iosipescu shear test to eliminate normal compressive stresses in the specimen gauge section and at the same time prevent axial splitting. Finally, several Iosipescu shear and biaxial experiments have been performed to select proper specimen geometry and loading conditions for the shear strength measurements of unidirectional composites. The nonlinear effects are examined with respect to various coefficients of friction, displacements, loading angles, and fixtures (biaxial with short and modified biaxial with long loading blocks) using nonlinear finite-element techniques. It is shown that the effect of nonlinearity is small on the stresses at the center of the standard Iosipescu specimen, but significant for the stresses near the notch root up to 2 mm applied displacements. In some cases, significant differences in the stresses calculated for different coefficients of friction have been observed. All of these results are somewhat consistent for both fixtures, but with the stress components sigma x, sigma y, and sigma xy significantly lower in the standard Iosipescu specimens tested in the fixture with the long blocks. Numerical load/displacement diagrams show that specimen sliding and geometric nonlinearity have a negligible effect on reaction forces in the biaxial fixture, and a significant effect on the reaction forces in the modified biaxial fixture. Since the various combinations of the loading conditions evaluated in this study do not eliminate transverse compressive stresses in the gauge section of the standard Iosipescu specimens, a major improvement to the Iosipescu shear test has been proposed. Using an optimized specimen geometry subjected to biaxial shear/tension loading conditions, a state of almost uniform pure shear stress can be generated in 0degrees unidirectional composite Iosipescu specimens without the possibility of axial splitting along the fibers at the roots of the notches. However, it is shown in the experimental part of this study that for the optimized Iosipescu specimen, crushing at the inner loading blocks can significantly affect the shear intralaminar failure process. Only by reducing the cross-sectional area of the optimized Iosipescu specimen can the effect of crushing on the failure process be reduced without, however, highquality shear stress fields present in the gauge section at failure.     

Effects of specimen and grain sizes on compression strength of annealed wrought copper alloy at room temperature

Variations in compression yield strength of annealed wrought CuAl7 copper alloy with specimen diameter (t) in 1–10 mm range and grain size (D) in 24–172 μm range were investigated. Both grain size effect and feature size effect could be observed. The compression yield strength increased with a reduction in grain size or specimen diameter, and varied with the t/D ratio in no particular manner. However, when t was held constant, the compression yield strength increased as the ratio increased. When D was held constant, the strength decreased as the ratio increased. The Hall–Petch relationship between the compression yield strength and the grain size was found to depend on the specimen diameter. The effect of feature size was greater than that of grain size. A new model of the relationship between the compression yield strength and the grain size, specimen diameter, and size factor has been built. The predicted results of the model agreed well with the experimental results. The fit of the model was better than that of a model based on the relationship between the compression yield strength and the grain size and specimen diameter only.     

Specimen size effects on fracture behaviour of SiC/SiC tubes during circumferential tensile test

SiC fiber-reinforced SiC matrix (SiC/SiC) composites are expected as a high-temperature structural material for the application of aerospace and nuclear energy system due to their high-temperature stability, reduced-activation property, and excellent irradiation resistance. It was investigated the size effects of test specimen on the fracture behaviour and apparent strength of SiC/SiC tubes in order to minimize the size of test specimen, as well as to develop circumferential tensile test method for SiC/SiC fuel cladding of nuclear reactor. The tube specimens with a narrow width (less than 5 mm) represented the stable value of apparent strength. In case of wide width (>5 mm), the apparent strength of test specimen decreased with the increase in specimen width. It was observed that the fracture of the test specimen with wide width was initiated from the sides of test specimen due to the local contact between loading pin and the test specimen. It is required to use the material with high modulus as a loading pin material in order to avoid the stress concentration caused by local contact.