Slip and Twinning in Polycrystalline Alumina (α-Al2O3) Deformed under Hydrostatic Pressure between 600° and 1000°C

The microstructure of polycrystalline alumina deformed under hydrostatic pressure and at low temperature is investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Deformation occurs mainly by prism plane slip and rhombohedral twinning. Introduction of hydrogen leads to a significant decrease in the yield stress. In large grain size alumina deformed with hydrogen, accommodation of twinning involves dislocation reactions in the twin boundary and in the grains rather than by cracking. Prism plane dislocations decompose into basal dislocations by cross slip probably due to a decrease of Peierls stress for basal slip in the presence of hydrogen.     

Uncertainty of Predictions of Embankment Dam Breach Parameters

Risk assessment studies considering the failure of embankment dams often require the prediction of basic geometric and temporal parameters of a breach, or the estimation of peak breach outflows. Many of the relations most commonly used to make these predictions were developed from statistical analyses of data collected from historic dam failures. The prediction uncertainties of these methods are widely recognized to be very large, but have never been specifically quantified. This paper presents an analysis of the uncertainty of many of these breach parameter and peak flow prediction methods. Application of the methods and the uncertainty analysis are illustrated through a case study of a risk assessment recently performed by the Bureau of Reclamation for a large embankment dam in North Dakota.     

三峡工程升船机坝段基础特点与施工期形变特征

简要分析了升船机上闸首基础岩体的特点，在施工期随上部建筑物形成的过程中沉降与水平形变随荷载变化的特征。分析认为:基础岩体形变与其受荷特点相吻合，目前建筑物总体安全状态正常，但部分坝段需引起注意，同时为验证设计、指导施工提供了依据。     

海水冻融后轻骨料混凝土的双轴压压强度和变形性能

针对我国渤海湾北部海域轻骨料混凝土结构的工作环境和受力状态，进行了海水中不同冻融循环次数后轻骨料混凝土的双轴压压强度试验，考察了试件的破坏形态和表面裂缝的走向特征。根据试验结果，分析了极限抗压强度随冻融循环次数和应力比的变化规律，并在此基础上建立了考虑海水冻融影响的双轴压压强度准则。探讨了冻融循环作用后轻骨料混凝土的双轴压压变形性能，包括峰值应变、应力-应变关系随冻融循环次数和应力比的变化规律。研究结果说明，随冻融循环次数的增加各种应力比下的应力-应变关系曲线均逐渐扁平，峰值应力点明显下降并右移，说明混凝土的极限抗压强度逐渐降低。     

Solution of large deformation contact problems with friction between Blatz-Ko hyperelastic bodies

The present paper is devoted to the analysis of the contact problems with Coulomb friction and large deformation between two hyperelastic bodies. One approach to separate the material nonlinearity and contact nonlinearity is presented. The total Lagrangian formulation is adopted to describe the geometrically nonlinear behavior. Nondifferentiable contact potentials are regularized by means of the augmented Lagrangian method. Numerical examples are carried out in two cases: rigid-deformable contact and deformable-deformable contact with large slips. The numerical results prove that the proposed approach is robust and efficient concerning numerical stability.     

A study of the large strain deformation and failure behaviour of mixed biopolymer gels via in situ ESEM

A mixed biopolymer gel, consisting of a protein (gelatin) and polysaccharide (maltodextrin) mixture has been investigated. By controlling the composition it was possible to construct an ‘emulsion-like’ structure, with included spherical particles of one phase (maltodextrin) within a continuous matrix of the second (gelatin). Large strain deformation and failure behaviour of this system has been examined via in situ environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). ESEM has been employed to explore the changes in the structure of the material, whilst allowing the sample to stay hydrated as it was subjected to tensile strain, thereby allowing simultaneous imaging and determination of stress-strain data of the native sample. Ductile behaviour was observed, which has been attributed to the stretching, tearing and fracture of gelatin ligaments and debonding at the interface between the maltodextrin particles and continuous gelatin matrix. Deformation and fracture of the maltodextrin particles during tensile testing was also observed. The interfacial fracture energy of the composite has been calculated following an elastomer composite-debonding model, although there are several limitations to this approach for the mixed gel. It was found in samples tested after different ageing times that the debonding stress and strain was decreasing with ageing leading to a lower interfacial fracture energy. Samples were also tested after successive loading cycles, which resulted in a mechanical strength decrease after each cycle.     

Plastic deformation of bcc metal thin foils without dislocation

Heavy plastic deformation of fcc metal thin foils to fracture has been found recently to proceed without involving dislocations, and it results in the formation of high density of vacancy clusters. Thin foil specimens of bcc metals such as V and Mo were plastically deformed to fracture in in situ elongation experiments under an electron microscope. Morphology of thinning and fracture was found to be similar to fcc metals, and no dislocation was observed during heavy deformation. Electron diffraction analysis at the tip of a crack during deformation confirmed a large elastic deformation of up to 5%. Unlike in fcc metal thin foil specimens, point defect clusters were not observed near fractured tips. This difference is attributed to the difference in vacancy reaction, though the deformation in bcc metals without dislocation most likely does produce vacancies.     

Structural integrity in electronics

With continuing miniaturisation, increased performance demands and the requirement to remove lead from solder alloys, the challenges to structural integrity and reliability of electronic equipment are substantial and increasing. This paper outlines typical features in electronic equipment of which the structural integrity community may be generally unaware. Potential failure modes in service are described, and the problems of scale and material characteristics are considered. Progress in the application of fracture mechanics to the life prediction of interconnections is reviewed. The limited evidence available suggests that the crack growth resistance of silver‐containing lead‐free solders is superior to that of the traditional Sn‐37Pb under cycle‐controlled conditions but there is no difference when time‐dependent conditions prevail. In several respects, it is contended that the electronics sector is faced with challenges at least equivalent to those encountered in gas turbines and nuclear power generation.     

Tensile fracture and failure behavior of technical flax fibers

The apparent tensile strength of technical flax fibers was determined in single‐fiber tests at various clamping lengths (20, 40, and 80 mm) and the outcome was compared with literature data. It was demonstrated that the strength of flax at each clamping length obeyed the two‐parameter Weibull model. The failure mode and sequence were studied in situ (i.e., during loading) by SEM and acoustic emission (AE). The failure sequence (axial splitting of the technical fiber along its elementary constituents, radial cracking of the elementary fibers, multiple fracture of the elementary fibers) concluded reflected the hierarchical build‐up of the flax bast fibers. To the above failure events AE amplitude ranges were assigned. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 3638–3645, 2003     

非均匀材料破坏过程数值模拟的边界元法研究

用格子模型和统计分布模拟非均匀材料性质的初始分布,针对二维非均匀材料格子模型建立了重复多子域边界元法求解方程。通过把各行子域集成为亚子域,然后对链状排列的亚子域应用域转移矩阵法进行求解。由于使用的域转移矩阵法对内存的要求仅略大于一个亚子域的求解,以及重复多子域法只需要进行一次系数矩阵积分,因而可以大大提高求解的规模和效率。在此基础上,对非均匀脆性材料在简单载荷作用下的破坏过程进行了数值模拟。采用重复多子域法和域转移矩阵法,可以得到子域内高精度的连续应力分布,为进一步研究非均匀材料裂纹萌生、扩展和破坏过程提供了基础。