Institute of Fundamental Technological Research

Estimation of macroscopic properties of heterogeneous materials has always posed significant problems. Procedures based on numerical homogenization, although very flexible, consume a lot of time and computing power. Thus, many attempts have been made to develop analytical models that could provide robust and computationally efficient tools for this purpose. The goal of this paper is to develop a reliable analytical approach to finding the effective elastic–plastic response of metal matrix composites (MMC) and porous metals (PM) with a predefined particle or void distribution, as well as to examine the anisotropy induced by regular inhomogeneity arrangements. The proposed framework is based on the idea of Molinari & El Mouden (1996) to improve classical mean-field models of thermoelastic media by taking into account the interactions between each pair of inhomogeneities within the material volume, known as a cluster model. Both elastic and elasto-plastic regimes are examined. A new extension of the original formulation, aimed to account for the non-linear plastic regime, is performed with the use of the modified tangent linearization of the metal matrix constitutive law. The model uses the second stress moment to track the accumulated plastic strain in the matrix. In the examples, arrangements of spherical inhomogeneities in three Bravais lattices of cubic symmetry (Regular Cubic, Body-Centered Cubic and Face-Centered Cubic) are considered for two basic material scenarios: “hard-in-soft” (MMC) and “soft-in-hard” (PM). As a means of verification, the results of micromechanical mean-field modeling are compared with those of numerical homogenization performed using the Finite Element Method (FEM). In the elastic regime, a comparison is also made with several other micromechanical models dedicated to periodic composites. Within both regimes, the results obtained by the cluster model are qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with FEM calculations, especially for volume fractions of inclusions up to 40%.

Periodic composite , Micro-mechanics , Effective properties, Elasto-plasticity, Particle interactions

Although the elastic properties of porous materials depend mainly on the volume fraction of pores, the details of pore distribution within the material representative volume are also important and may be the subject of optimisation. To study their effect, experimental analyses were performed on samples made of a polymer material with a predefined distribution of spherical voids, but with various porosities due to different pore sizes. Three types of pore distribution with cubic symmetry were considered and the results of experimental analyses were confronted with mean-field estimates and numerical calculations. The mean-field ‘cluster’ model is used in which the mutual interactions between each of the two pores in the predefined volume are considered. As a result, the geometry of pore distribution is reflected in the anisotropic effective properties. The samples were produced using a 3D printing technique and tested in the regime of small strain to assess the elastic stiffness. The digital image correlation method was used to measure material response under compression. As a reference, the solid samples were also 3D printed and tested to evaluate the polymer matrix stiffness. The anisotropy of the elastic response of porous samples related to the arrangement of voids was assessed. Young’s moduli measured for the additively manufactured samples complied satisfactorily with modelling predictions for low and moderate pore sizes, while only qualitatively for larger porosities. Thus, the low-cost additive manufacturing techniques may be considered rather as preliminary tools to prototype porous materials and test mean-field approaches, while for the quantitative and detailed model validation, more accurate additive printing techniques should be considered. Research paves the way for using these computationally efficient models in optimising the microstructure of heterogeneous materials and composites.

Pore configuration, Anisotropy, Elasticity, Micro-mechanics, Additive manufacturing

The aim of this study is to analyse the joint effect of reinforcement shape and packing on the effective behaviour of particulate composites. The proposed semi-analytical modelling method combines the Replacement Mori–Tanaka scheme, by means of which the concentration tensors for non-ellipsoidal inhomogeneities are found numerically, and the analytical morphologically representative pattern approach to account for particle packing. Five shapes of inhomogeneities are selected for the analysis: a sphere, a prolate ellipsoid, a sphere with cavities, an oblate spheroid with a cavity as well as an inhomogeneity created by three prolate spheroids crossing at right angles. Semi-analytical estimates are compared with the results of numerical simulations performed using the finite element method and with the outcomes of classical mean-field models based on the Eshelby solution, e.g. the Mori–Tanaka model or the self-consistent scheme.

composite material, micromechanics, computational modelling, packing effect, shape effect

A cluster interaction model has been proposed to account for the spatial distribution and morphology of particles when estimating the effective properties of elastic and thermoelastic composites (Molinari and El Mouden, 1996). In the present paper this approach is extended to elastic-viscoplastic composites. To this end the tangent linearization of the non-linear viscoplastic law and the concept of additive interaction equation are used. Although the extension is formulated for the non-linear case, first applications are considered for linear viscoelastic composites, a situation rich enough to evaluate the interest of the cluster interaction approach. Results of the model are compared to numerical homogenization for periodic
unit cells with two cubic configurations.

homogenization, the cluster interaction model, elastic-viscoplastic composite, spatial configuration of inclusions, interaction between inclusions

The issue of applicability of the Morphologically Representative Pattern (MRP) approach to elastic-plastic composites is addressed. The extension to the regime of non-linear material behaviour is performed by employing the concept of incremental linearization of the material response in two basic variants: tangent and secant. The obtained predictions are evaluated through comparison with the outcomes of numerical analyses. Finite Element simulations are carried out using periodic unit cells with cubic arrangements of spherical particles and representative volume elements (RVE) with 50 randomly placed inclusions. In addition to the analysis of the packing effect in two-phase composites, the size effect is also studied by assuming an interphase between the matrix and inclusions. It is concluded that the MRP approach can be used as an effective predictive alternative to computational homogenization, not only in the case of linear elasticity but also in the case of elastic-plastic composites.

particulate composites, elastoplasticity, micromechanics, size effect, packing effect, morphologically representative pattern

Effects of particle packing and size on the overall elastic properties of particulate random composites are analyzed. In order to account for the two effects the mean-field Morphologically Representative Pattern (MRP) approach is employed and an additional interphase surrounding inclusions (coating) is introduced. The analytical mean-field estimates are compared with the results of computational homogenization performed using the finite element (FE) method. Periodic unit cells with cubic crystal-type arrangements and representative volume elements with random distributions of particles are used for verification purposes. The validity of the MRP estimates with respect to the FE results is assessed.

Composite materials, Elasticity, Micro-mechanics, Packing and size effects

In this paper extensive research on the polyurethane shape memory polymer (PU-SMP) is reported, including its structure analysis, our experimental investigation of its thermomechanical properties and its modelling. The influence of the effects of thermomechanical couplings on the SMP behaviour during tension at room temperature is studied using a fast and sensitive infrared camera. It is shown that the thermomechanical behaviour of the SMP significantly depends on the strain rate: at a higher strain rate higher stress and temperature values are obtained. This indicates that an increase of the strain rate leads to activation of different deformation mechanisms at the micro-scale, along with reorientation and alignment of the molecular chains. Furthermore, influence of temperature on the SMP's mechanical behaviour is studied. It is observed during the loading in a thermal chamber that at the temperature 20°C below the glass transition temperature (Tg) the PU-SMP strengthens about six times compared to the material above Tg but does not exhibit the shape recovery. A finite-strain constitutive model is formulated, where the SMP is described as a two-phase material composed of a hyperelastic rubbery phase and elastic-viscoplastic glassy phase. The volume content of phases is governed by the current temperature. Finally, model predictions are compared with the experimental results.

shape memory polyurethane, thermomechanical couplings, infrared camera, temperature change, dynamic mechanical analysis, strain rate, constitutive model

mean-field modelling, numerical homogenization, elasto-plasticity

Different approaches to model packing and size effects are studied to model overall properties of particulate composites of different morphological features of phase distribution. The micromechanical schemes originating in the composite sphere model and its extension by morphologically-based pattern approach are taken as a basis. Analytical predictions are compared with results of computational homogenization performed on the generated representative volume elements of prescribed statistical characteristics.

micromechanics, morphologically representative pattern, computational homogenization, size and scale effect

A constitutive model of SMP, formulated at large strain format, is developed. SMP is described as a two-phase material composed of a soft rubbery phase and a hard glassy phase. The volume fraction of each phase is postulated as a logistic function of temperature. Identification of model parameters has been performed using the experimental tensile loading-unloading tests with different strain rates conducted at thermal chamber at different temperatures.

shape-memory polymers, two-phase model, large strain framework