Thermal Residual Stresses in W Fibers/Zr-based Metallic Glass Composites by High-energy Synchrotron X-ray Diffraction

Thermal residual stresses in W fibers/Zr-based metallic glass composites were measured by in situ high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction(HEXRD). The W fibers for the composites were 300,500,and 700 m m in diameter,respectively. Coaxial cylinder model(CCM) and finite element model(FEM) were employed to simulate the distribution of thermal residual stress,respectively. HEXRD results showed that the selected diameters of W fiber had little influence on the value of thermal residual stresses in the present composites. Thermal residual stresses simulated by CCM and FEM were in good agreement with HEXRD measured results. In addition,FEM results exhibited that thermal residual stress concentrated on interface between the two phases and area where the two W fibers were the closest ones to each other.     

Stress-dependence and time-dependence of the post-fatigue tensile behavior of carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites

The major objective of this paper is to phenomenally report the stress-dependence and time-dependence of fatigue damage to C/SiC composites, and to tentatively discuss the effects of the fatigue stress levels and the fatigue cycles on the post-fatigue tensile behavior. Results show that compared with the virgin strength of the as-received C/SiC specimens, the tensile strengths of the as-fatigued specimens after 86,400 cycles were increased by 8.47% at the stresses of 90 ± 30 MPa, 23.47% at 120 ± 40 MPa, and 9.8% at 160 ± 53 MPa. As cycles continued, however, the post-fatigue strength of the composites gradually decreased after the peak of 23.47%, at which the optimal strength enhancement was obtained because the mean fatigue stress of 120 MPa was the closest to thermal residual stress (TRS), and caused TRS relieve largely during the fatigue. Most interestingly, there was a general inflexion appeared on the post-fatigue tensile stress-strain curves, which was just equal to the historic maximum fatigue stress acted upon the as-fatigued specimens. Below this inflexion stress the tensile curves revealed the apparent linear behavior with little AE response, and above that nonlinearity with new damage immediately emitted highly increase rate of AE activities. This ‘stress memory’ characteristic was strongly relevant to damaged microstructures of the as-fatigued composites in the form of the coating/matrix cracks, interface debonding/wear, and fiber breaking, which resulted undoubtedly in reduction of modulus but in proper increase of strength via TRS relief.     

模具对复合材料构件固化变形的影响分析

通过光纤光栅的方法实验研究了在热压罐成型工艺过程中, 复合材料构件由金属固化模具与复合材料构件热不匹配导致的沿厚度方向和面内的固化残余应力发展, 得到了固化后残余应力沿构件厚度方向和面内的分布情况, 并分析了该残余应力分布的产生机制以及对构件固化后变形的影响。结果表明: 复合材料与模具之间的热不匹配导致的固化残余应变沿构件厚度方向呈梯度分布, 靠近模具端大于远离模具端, 并且该应变会引起构件固化后的翘曲变形, 变形以沿纤维方向为主。     

均质化法在分析非连续碳纳米管增强复合材料微观应力分布规律中的应用

利用具有精确周期性边界条件的均质化理论, 用宏微观有限元法分析了非连续碳纳米管呈规则和交错2 种排列情况下, 纳米管沿管长方向的应力分布规律。为保证传统的连续力学理论的适用性, 本文中的碳纳米管采用了用分子动力学方法简化的等效纤维模型。规则排列所得结果与应用Cox 剪滞理论及Lauke、Fu 等经典理论得出的结果比较发现: 除了经典理论中指出的碳纳米管长径比及纳米管体积含量2 个因素外, 纳米管形状及在基体中的排列方式对材料的力学性质也有较大影响。交错排列的纳米管在复合材料中有较高效率的应力转化和传递能力, 碳纳米管的端部间距(2 T_f ) 对应力的分布有较大的影响。结果显示出碳纳米管作为材料增强相的特殊性, 证明了均质化理论分析碳纳米管增强复合材料应力分布规律的可行性。      

Modelling of carbon–carbon composite manufacturing processes

This paper is devoted to the modelling of technological processes of manufacturing of siliconized carbon–carbon composites. The developed model describes the changes that occur in the properties of the composites (strength, elastic moduli, shrinkage) during the technological cycle of manufacturing and also the residual stresses generated in composite structures. It is shown that the level of the residual stresses and the character of changes in the properties of carbon–carbon composites essentially differ from those of polymer–matrix composites.     

Reaction-sintered hot-pressed TiAl

Titanium aluminide intermetallic alloys and composites were formed from elemental titanium and aluminium powders by self propagating, high-temperature synthesis in an induction-heated hot-press. The crystal phases, density, transverse rupture stress, and hardness of the reaction-sintered compacts, were observed to be controlled by hot-pressing conditions. The principal phase formed was TiAl together with a significant second-phase concentration of Ti₃AI. The transverse rupture strength (TRS) of the intermetallic composites was observed to vary directly with compact density. Under selected high-temperature synthesis hot-pressing conditions, TRS values were comparable to those obtained for fully dense TiAl. Titanium aluminide composites were formed by adding boron, carbon, silicon and Al₂O₃, and SiC powders and whiskers to the Ti-Al powders before reaction sintering. Changing the alloying additions did not have as strong an effect on properties of the composite compacts as did varying hot-pressing conditions.     

Residual stress characterization of Al/SiC nanoscale multilayers using X-ray synchrotron radiation

Nanolayered composites are used in a variety of applications such as wear resistant coatings, thermal barrier coatings, optical and magnetic thin films, and biological coatings. Residual stresses produced in these materials during processing play an important role in controlling their microstructure and properties. In this paper, we have studied the residual stresses in model metal-ceramic Al/SiC nanoscale multilayers produced by physical vapor deposition (magnetron sputtering). X-ray synchrotron radiation was used to measure stresses in the multilayers using the sin²Ψ technique. The stresses were evaluated as a function of layer thicknesses of Al and SiC and also as a function of the number of layers. The stress state of Al in the multilayer was largely compressive, compared to single layer Al stresses. This is attributed to a peening mechanism due to bombardment of the Al layers by SiC and Ar neutrals during deposition. The stress evolution was numerically modeled by a simplified peening process to qualitatively explain the Al thickness-dependent residual stresses.     

Mechanism of breakdown in the interface region of glass reinforced polyester by artificial weathering

Laboratory studies were conducted to elucidate the mechanism of breakdown in the interface region of glass-fibre reinforced polyester (GRP) composites on outdoor weathering. GRP composites were subjected to the effects of moisture, temperature and radiation. Breakdown in the interface region occurred when the GRP sheets were aged in the presence of water and physically-induced stress (thermally and/or by moisture). The stresses involved are complex, the most predominant being axial shear stresses. Fracture characteristics of breakdown produced during laboratory ageing were very similar to those occurring on outdoor weathering.According to the mechanism proposed, the resin in the interface region is subjected, during environmental ageing, to a stress-fatigue resulting from the differential dimensional changes between glass and matrix induced by moisture and/or temperature cyclic variations. Under the influence of alternating cyclic stresses and in conjunction with the chemical degradation of the matrix, the interface region undergoes cracking, fracture and fibre delamination. This type of breakdown may be referred to as environmental stress cracking.     

Preparation of C-fibre borosilicate glass composites: Influence of the fibre type on mechanical properties

Nine different types of carbon fibres were used as the reinforcement component of the borosilicate glass DURAN. Optimum preparation procedures and parameters for the resulting composites were investigated, the mechanical properties were measured in the bending test, and the results compared. It was found that the densification of composites incorporated with high-modulus (hm) C-fibres could be done at lower temperatures than that of composites with high-strength (hs) C-fibres. The utilization of the fibres in the composites with respect to the tensile strength of the fibres was much better for the hm-C-fibres than for the hs-C-fibres. The experimentally obtained values for Young's modulus and the bending strength of the composites were compared with those calculated from the linear mixing rule (LMR). The measured bendover stresses (stress limit of the elastic region in the stress-strain diagrams) were compared with those from the Aveston-Cooper-Kelly model, which calculates stresses at which cracks in the glass matrix occur. It has been shown that good agreement between experimental and calculated values was found if relatively large values were assumed for the interfacial shear strength.     

Stereological characterization of crack path transitions in ceramic matrix composites

All ceramic composites involve a mismatch in physical properties the extent of which differs from one composite to another. Mismatch in thermal expansion (Δα) and elastic modulus (ΔE) is known to produce stresses that influence the path of a propagating crack. Thus, the relative effect of thermal and elastic mismatch on the crack path is expected to change with change in stress intensity. We propose that the crack path in ceramic composites should undergo a transition with the crack being strongly influenced by the thermal mismatch stresses at low stress intensity and elastic mismatch stresses at high stress intensities. Thus, a material in use under different applications each with its own loading conditions is expected to exhibit different crack propagation tendencies which may be reflected in the υ-K characteristics of the composite material. In the present work several model composites with different combinations of thermal and elastic mismatch have been considered. Cracks propagating at different sub-critical stress intensities (velocities) were generated by a novel indentation technique. Each indentation was performed at a constant displacement rate and a peak load. A range of displacement rates were used to produce cracks propagating at different velocities. The indentations were made using a Vickers indentor fitted in a universal mechanical testing machine. The crack paths in composites were quantified by stereological technique and the proposed theory was verified.     

Effects of Interphase Damage and Residual Stresses on Mechanical Behavior of Particle Reinforced Metal-Matrix Composites

Mechanical behavior of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with SiC particles are predicted using an axisymmetric micromechanical finite element model. The model aims to study initiation and propagation of interphase damage subjected to combination of thermal and uniaxial loading. Effects of manufacturing process thermal residual stresses and interphase de-bonding are considered. The model includes a square Representative Volume Element (RVE) from a cylindrical unit cell representing a quarter of SiC particle surrounded by Al-3.5wt.%Cu matrix. Suitable boundary conditions are defined to include effects of combined thermal and uniaxial tension loading on the RVE. An appropriate damage criterion with a linear relationship between radial and shear stresses for interphase damage is introduced to predict initiation and propagation of interphase de-bonding during loading. A damage user subroutine is developed and coupled to the finite element software to model interphase damage. Overall Stress-strain behavior of particulate metal-matrix composite by considering residual stresses is compared with experimental data to estimate interphase strength. Effects of thermal residual stresses in elastic, de-bonding and plastic zones of composite system are discussed in details. Furthermore, parametric study results show high influence of interphase strength on the overall mechanical behavior of composite material.     

The role of carbon nanofibers on thermo-mechanical properties of polymer matrix composites and their effect on reduction of residual stresses

In this research, the effects of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) on thermo-elastic properties of carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy composite for the reduction of thermal residual stresses (TRS) using micromechanical relations were studied. In the first step, micromechanical models to calculate the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and Young's modulus of CNF/epoxy and CNF/CF/epoxy nanocomposites were developed and compared with experimental results of the other researchers. The obtained results of the CTE and Young's modulus of modified Schapery and Halpin-Tsai theories have good agreement with the experimental results. In the second step, the classical lamination theory (CLT) was employed to determine the TRS for CNF/CF/epoxy laminated nanocomposites. Also, the theoretical results of the CLT were compared with experimental results. Finally, reduction of the TRS using the CLT for different lay-ups such as cross ply, angle ply, and quasi-isotropic laminates were obtained. The results demonstrated that the addition of 1% weight fraction of CNF can reduce the TRS that the most reduction occurred in the unsymmetric cross-ply laminate by up to 27%.     

A theoretical approach for the thermal expansion behavior of the particulate reinforced aluminum matrix composite Part I A thermal expansion model for composites with mono-dispersed spherical particles

Microstructural observation revealed that the increase in the volume fraction of SiC particles lowers the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the composite, and the CTE of the metal matrix composites is proportional to the size of the Si phase. To analyze the thermal expansion behavior of aluminum matrix composites, a new model for the CTE of the mono-dispersed binary composite on the basis of Ashelby's cutting and welding approach was proposed. In the theoretical model, it was considered that during cooling relaxation of residual stresses could create an elasto-plastic deformation zone around a SiC or Al₂O₃ particle in the matrix. The size of reinforced particles and other metallurgical factors of the matrix alloy and composite were also considered. In this model, the interacting effect between the reinforced hard particle and the soft matrix is considered by introducing the influence of the elasto-plastic deformation zone around a particle, which is distinguished from the previous models. It was revealed that the CTE of the composite are influenced by the particle volume fraction, the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio as well as the elasto-plastic deformation zone size and the particle size.     

Impact of volume fiber on distribution of thermal stress residual near fiber/epoxy interface using axisymmetric model

Thermal residual stresses are important in composite materials. The aim of this work is the computation of thermal residual stresses by finite element method and the effect of volume fraction on their distribution. In this work, two cases are considered by using an epoxy matrix with respectively glass and carbon fibers with a different volume fiber using an axisymmetric model. From the results of the numerical calculation, it is shown that the stresses are important and thus should be taken into account. The interface is affected by thermal stresses. The normal stresses and shear stress value have an influence on the behavior of the material. Hence, on the performance of composites during service, is an information of significance for the designers.     

Measurement of residual stresses in thick composite cylinders by the radial-cut-cylinder-bending method

Thick fabric composite cylinders for nozzle parts in solid rocket motors should be designed to endure the extreme temperature and pressure of combustion gas. As the thickness of the composite cylinder increases, fabricational residual stresses due to the anisotropic thermal expansion or shrinkage of fabric composites also increase, which induces inter-laminar failures. Therefore, the accurate estimation of the residual stresses is indispensable for the development of thick fabric composite cylinders.

In this paper, the residual stresses in thick cylinders made of carbon fabric phenolic composites were measured by a new radial-cut-cylinder-bending method. To obtain the residual stresses from the measured relative strains during the radial-cut operation, a bending test of the cylinder with the radial-cut was performed instead of measuring the material properties with respect to radial positions. The thermal residual stresses were also calculated by finite element method considering shear deformation of fabric layers, and compared with the measured residual stresses by the new method, from which it was found that the new simple method estimated the residual stresses pretty well. Also the inter-laminar tensile strength at the position of maximum radial residual stress could be obtained from the bending test.     

碳纤维增强环氧树脂基复合材料湿热残余应力的微Raman光谱测试表征

采用微Raman光谱仪对碳纤维增强环氧树脂复合材料CF/EP(纤维体积分数为30%)的湿热残余应力进行了研究。实验结果表明：湿热残余应力能够使碳纤维Raman光谱发生频移,根据频移可对纤维所受湿热残余应力进行表征;选择合适的试验点是复合材料湿热残余应力Raman测试成功的关键;在湿热环境下长期吸湿,纤维所受轴向残余应力由吸湿前的热残余压应力转变成吸湿后的湿热残余拉应力;由吸湿后碳纤维所受湿热残余拉应力减去吸湿前热残余压应力获得的吸湿拉应力非常大,平均为2272 MPa,接近所用碳纤维的拉伸强度(2800 MPa);适当的加工热残余压应力有利于降低吸湿导致的应力。     

More on the effects of thermal residual and hydrostatic stresses on yielding behavior of unidirectional composites

The influence of manufacturing process thermal residual stresses and hydrostatic stresses on yielding behavior of unidirectional fiber reinforced composites has been investigated when subsequently subjected to various mechanical loadings. Three-dimensional finite element micro-mechanical models have been used. The results of this study reveal that the size of the initial yield surface is highly affected by the thermal residual and hydrostatic stresses. It was also found that effects of a uniform temperature change on the initial yield surface in the composite stress space is not equivalent to a solid translation of the surface in the direction of the hydrostatic stress axis. At the micro-level, magnitudes of various stress components within the matrix due to the thermal residual and hydrostatic stresses are different. However, at a macro-level, both temperature change and hydrostatic loading of composites show similar effects on the initial yield surface in the composite stress space. In an agreement with experimental data, results also show that residual stresses are responsible for asymmetric behavior of composites in uniaxial tension/compression in the fiber direction. This asymmetric behavior suggests that the existing quadratic yield criteria need modification to include thermal residual stress effects.     

Analyses of thermal expansion behavior of intergranular two-phase composites

Both analytical modeling and numerical simulations were performed to analyze residual thermal stresses and coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of intergranular two-phase composites in a two-dimensional sense. A composite-circle model was adopted for analytical modeling. Model microstructures consisting of square-array, hexagon-array, and brick wall-array of grains with an intergranular phase as well as an actual microstructure of random-array grains with an intergranular phase were adopted for numerical simulations. The results showed that in predicting CTEs, the simple analytical model represents the two-dimensional composite well except that with brick wall-array grains, which induced significant anisotropic CTEs in the composite. The residual thermal stresses in composites were also discussed.     

The role of thermal residual stress on the yielding behavior of carbon nanotube–aluminum nanocomposites

The initial yield envelopes of aluminum (Al) nanocomposites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) subjected to biaxial loading are predicted in the presence of thermal residual stress (TRS) arising from the manufacturing process. Micromechanical model based on the unit cell method is presented to generate the yielding surfaces. The formation of the interphase caused by the interfacial reaction between the CNT and Al matrix is taken into account in the analysis. The effects of several important parameters, i.e. the change of temperature, CNT volume fraction, interphase thickness and Al material properties on the yielding onset of the CNT/Al nanocomposite are explored extensively. The results clearly reveal that the initial yield surfaces of nanocomposite are dependent on the TRS. Also, the interphase has a significant influence on the yielding behavior of Al nanocomposite in the presence of TRS. The results demonstrate that the size of initial yield surfaces become minimum with considering the coupled effects of TRS and interphase. With increasing the temperature variation, interphase thickness, elastic modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion of Al matrix, the size of initial yield surfaces reduces. The present study is consequential for understanding the key role of TRS on the initial damage of CNT/Al nanocomposites.