Micromechanism of Crystallization in Multicomponent Metallic Glass

A micromechanism in an atomic level of crystallization of transition metal-metalloid TM(80)M(20) metallic glass is thermodynamically proposed by taking Bernal polyhedra as the starting structure of metallic glass. It is composed of two competitively processes: (i) densification process of atom cluster leads to the formation of the precursor in amorphous matrix; (ii) the growth of atom cluster leads to the decreasing packing density. The preferential precipitation sequence of metastable phase is bcc, bet, cpc (close-packed crystal, hcp or fee structure). A metastable phase decomposition (Fe,Mo)(23)B-6 (fcc)-Fe2B highly strained bet phase was observed during crystallization of (Fe(0.99)M(0.01))(78)Si9B13 metallic glass, which is related to the occurrence of nanocrystalline.

Developing a high-performance Al–Mg–Si–Sn–Sc alloy for essential room-temperature storage after quenching: aging regime design and micromechanisms

Sn microalloying can depress the adverse effect of natural aging after quenching(i.e., room-temperature storage) of Al-Mg-Si alloys. However, the other effect of Sc micro-addition to the Al-Mg-Si-Sn alloys remains elusive. Here, the optimal room-temperature storage time,properties and micromechanisms of Al-0.43 Mg-1.2Si-0.1Sn-0.1Sc(wt%) alloy are investigated by atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy(STEM),microhardness and corrosion resistance tests. The results show that the peak-aging Al-Mg-Si-Sn-Sc alloy exhibits vastly shortened peak hardening time, increased thermal stability and corrosion resistance compared with its Sc-free counterpart after a long room-temperature storage time of 1 week. Under such a designed double-stage aging regime(1-week room-temperature storage + artificial aging at 180℃), the addition of Sc to Al-Mg-Si-Sn alloy induces a decrease in diameter but an increase in length of peakhardening β″-based precipitates. In addition, a suppressed over-aging phase transition from Sc/Sn-containing β″ to β′ is identified in the Al-Mg-Si-Sn-Sc alloy. The Sn tends to segregate to the Si site in the low-density cylinder of β″ and the central site of sub-B′ in the precipitate can be occupied by Sn/Sc. Further study reveals that Sc and Sn coexist in the precursors of β″. Both reduced width of precipitation free zones and protective corrosion product film easily formed on the material contribute to the improved corrosion resistance of Al-Mg-Si-Sn-Sc alloy.The results provide important insight into the development of high-performance Al alloys.

Microstructures and micromechanical behaviors of high -entropy alloys investigated by synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques: A review

High-entropy alloys(HEAs)possess outstanding features such as corrosion resistance,irradiation resistance,and good mechan-ical properties.A few HEAs have found applications in the fields of aerospace and defense.Extensive studies on the deformation mech-anisms of HEAs can guide microstructure control and toughness design,which is vital for understanding and studying state-of-the-art structural materials.Synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction are necessary techniques for materials science research,especially for in situ coupling of physical/chemical fields and for resolving macro/microcrystallographic information on materials.Recently,several re-searchers have applied synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction methods to study the deformation mechanisms,phase transformations,stress behaviors,and in situ processes of HEAs,such as variable-temperature,high-pressure,and hydrogenation processes.In this review,the principles and development of synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction are presented,and their applications in the deformation mechanisms of HEAs are discussed.The factors that influence the deformation mechanisms of HEAs are also outlined.This review fo-cuses on the microstructures and micromechanical behaviors during tension/compression or creep/fatigue deformation and the application of synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction methods to the characterization of dislocations,stacking faults,twins,phases,and intergrain/interphase stress changes.Perspectives on future developments of synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction and on research directions on the deformation mechanisms of novel metals are discussed.

A macro-mesoscopic constitutive model for porous and cracked rock under true triaxial conditions

The complex mechanical and damage mechanisms of rocks are intricately tied to their diverse mineral compositions and the formation of pores and cracks under external loads.Numerous rock tests reveal a complex interplay between the closure of porous defects and the propagation of induced cracks,presenting challenges in accurately representing their mechanical properties,especially under true triaxial stress conditions.This paper proposes a conceptualization of rock at the mesoscopic level as a two-phase composite,consisting of a bonded medium matrix and frictional medium inclusions.The bonded medium is characterized as a mesoscopic elastic material,encompassing various minerals surrounding porous defects.Its mechanical properties are determined using the mixed multi-inclusion method.Transformation of the bonded medium into the frictional medium occurs through crack extension,with its elastoplastic properties defined by the DruckerePrager yield criterion,accounting for hardening,softening,and extension.MorieTanaka and Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion methods are applied to the bonded and frictional media,respectively.The macroscopic mechanical properties of the rock are derived from these mesoscopic media.Consequently,a True Triaxial Macro-Mesoscopic(TTMM)constitutive model is developed.This model effectively captures the competitive effect and accurately describes the stress-deformation characteristics of granite.Utilizing the TTMM model,the strains resulting from porous defect closure and induced crack extension are differentiated,enabling quantitative determination of the associated damage evolution.

Mechanical heterogeneity characterization of coal materials based on nano-indentation experiments

To investigate the complex macro-mechanical properties of coal from a micro-mechanical perspective,we have conducted a series of micro-mechanical experiments on coal using a nano-indentation instrument.These experiments were conducted under both dynamic and static loading conditions,allowing us to gather the micro-mechanical parameters of coal for further analysis of its micro-mechanical heterogeneity using the box counting statistical method and the Weibull model.The research findings indicate that the load–displacement curves of the coal mass under the two different loading modes exhibit noticeable discreteness.This can be attributed to the stress concentration phenomenon caused by variations in the mechanical properties of the micro-units during the loading process of the coal mass.Consequently,there are significant fluctuations in the micro-mechanical parameters of the coal mass.Moreover,the mechanical heterogeneity of the coal at the nanoscale was confirmed based on the calculation results of the standard deviation coefficient and Weibull modulus of the coal body’s micromechanical parameters.These results reveal the influence of microstructural defects and minerals on the uniformity of the stress field distribution within the loaded coal body,as well as on the ductility characteristics of the micro-defect structure.Furthermore,there is a pronounced heterogeneity in the micromechanical parameters.Furthermore,we have established a relationship between the macro and micro elastic modulus of coal by applying the Mori-Tanaka homogenization method.This relationship holds great significance for revealing the micro-mechanical failure mechanism of coal.

Finite Element Simulations on Failure Behaviors of Granular Materials with Microstructures Using a Micromechanics-Based Cosserat Elastoplastic Model

This paper presents a micromechanics-based Cosserat continuum model for microstructured granular materials.By utilizing this model,the macroscopic constitutive parameters of granular materials with different microstructures are expressed as sums of microstructural information.The microstructures under consideration can be classified into three categories:a medium-dense microstructure,a dense microstructure consisting of one-sized particles,and a dense microstructure consisting of two-sized particles.Subsequently,the Cosserat elastoplastic model,along with its finite element formulation,is derived using the extended Drucker-Prager yield criteria.To investigate failure behaviors,numerical simulations of granular materials with different microstructures are conducted using the ABAQUS User Element(UEL)interface.It demonstrates the capacity of the proposed model to simulate the phenomena of strain-softening and strain localization.The study investigates the influence of microscopic parameters,including contact stiffness parameters and characteristic length,on the failure behaviors of granularmaterials withmicrostructures.Additionally,the study examines themesh independence of the presented model and establishes its relationship with the characteristic length.A comparison is made between finite element simulations and discrete element simulations for a medium-dense microstructure,revealing a good agreement in results during the elastic stage.Somemacroscopic parameters describing plasticity are shown to be partially related to microscopic factors such as confining pressure and size of the representative volume element.

Modeling the Interaction between Vacancies and Grain Boundaries during Ductile Fracture

The experimental results in previous studies have indicated that during the ductile fracture of pure metals,vacancies aggregate and form voids at grain boundaries.However,the physical mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains not fully understood.This study derives the equilibrium distribution of vacancies analytically by following thermodynamics and the micromechanics of crystal defects.This derivation suggests that vacancies cluster in regions under hydrostatic compression to minimize the elastic strain energy.Subsequently,a finite element model is developed for examining more general scenarios of interaction between vacancies and grain boundaries.This model is first verified and validated through comparison with some available analytical solutions,demonstrating consistency between finite element simulation results and analytical solutions within a specified numerical accuracy.A systematic numerical study is then conducted to investigate the mechanism that might govern the micromechanical interaction between grain boundaries and the profuse vacancies typically generated during plastic deformation.The simulation results indicate that the reduction in total elastic strain energy can indeed drive vacancies toward grain boundaries,potentially facilitating void nucleation in ductile fracture.

A microscopic approach to brittle creep and time-dependent fracturing of rocks based on stress corrosion model

A brittle creep and time-dependent fracturing process model of rock is established by incorporating the stress corrosion model into discrete element method to analyze the creep behavior and microcrack evolution in brittle rocks at a micro-scale level.Experimental validation of the model is performed,followed by numerical simu-lations to investigate the creep properties and microcrack evolution in rocks under single-stage loading,multi-stage loading,and confining pressure,at various constant stress levels.The results demonstrate that as the stress level increases in single-stage creep simulations,the time-to-failure progressively decreases.The growth of microcracks during uniaxial creep occurs in three stages,with tensile microcracks being predominant and the spatial distribution of microcracks becoming more dispersed at higher stress levels.In multi-stage loadingunloading simulations,microcracks continue to form during the unloading stage,indicating cumulative damage resulting from increased axial stress.Additionally,the creep behaviour of rocks under confining pressure is not solely determined by the magnitude of the confining pressure,but is also influenced by the magnitude of the axial stress.The findings contribute to a better understanding of rock deformation and failure processes under different loading conditions,and they can be valuable for applications in rock mechanics and rock engineering.

Nonequilibrium Statistical Theory of Fracture

Nonequilibrium statistical theory of fracture is a theory of fracture that macromechanical quantities can be derived from the microscopic atomic mechanism of microcrack(or microvoid)evolution kinetcs by means of nonequilibrium statistical physical concepts and methods. The microcrack evolution equation is the central equation in the theory.The coefficents of the equation, the microcrack growth rate and the microcrack nucleation rate,come from microscopic atomic mechanism.The solution of the equation connects with macromechanical quantities by the model of the weakest chain. All the other formulas and quantities, for instance, distribution function,fracture probability, reliability, failure rate and macromechanical quantities such as strength, toughness, life etc. and their statistical distribution function and statistical fluctuation are derived in a unified fashion and expressed by a few physical parameters. This theory can be widely applied to various kinds of fracture, such as the brittle, fatigue, delayed and environmental fracture of metals and structural ceramics. The theoretical framework of this theory is given in this paper.

Constitutive model for concrete subjected to impact loading

To better design and analyze concrete structures, the mechanical properties of concrete subjected to impact loadings are investigated. Concrete is considered to be a two-phase composite made up of micro-cracks and solid parts which consist of coarse aggregate particles and a cement mortar matrix. The cement mortar matrix is assumed to be elastic, homogeneous and isotropic. Based on the Moil-Tanaka concept of average stress and the Eshelby equivalent inclusion theory, a dynamic constitutive model is developed to simulate the impact responses of concrete. The impact compression experiments of concrete and cement mortar are also carried out. Experimental results show that concrete and cement mortar are rate-dependent. Under the same impact velocity, the load-carrying capacity of concrete is higher than that of cement mortar. Whereas, the maximum strain of concrete is lower than that of cement mortar. Regardless of whether it is concrete or cement mortar, with the increase in the impact velocity, the fragment size of specimens after experiment decreases.

Calculation of watershed flow concentration based on the grid drop concept

The grid drop concept is introduced and used to develop a micromechanism-based methodology for calculating watershed flow concentration. The flow path and distance traveled by a grid drop to the outlet of the watershed are obtained using a digital elevation model （DEM）. Regarding the slope as an uneven carpet through which the grid drop passes, a formula for overland flow velocity differing from Manning＇s formula for stream flow as welt as Darcy＇s formula for pore flow is proposed. Compared with the commonly used unit hydrograph and isochronal methods, this new methodology has outstanding advantages in that it considers the influences of the slope velocity field and the heterogeneity of spatial distribution of rainfall on the flow concentration process, and includes only one parameter that needs to be calibrated. This method can also be effectively applied to the prediction of hydrologic processes in un-gauged basins.

CALCULATION OF THE DAMPING OF THE Zn-27Al ALLOY BASED ON THE MICRO INTERFACE SLIDING MODEL

The microstructures of the Zn-27Al alloy after modification, solid-solution treatment, and natural aging were studied. It was clarified why the damping properties of Zn-27Al alloys, after treatment, had advanced most on the basis of analyzing the microstructures. Approximate expressions have been educed, which can be used to quantificationally work out the damping of the Zn-27Al alloy on the basis of the micro interface sliding model. By comparing the testing damping properties of the foundry Zn-27Al alloys and the Zn-27Al alloys after modification, solid solution, and natural aging, it was shown that the expressions were rational.

Research on the diffusion bonding of superplastic magnesium alloy

The elevated temperature tensile experiments have been carried out on the magnesium alloy and results indicate that the magnesium alloy has excellent superplastic property. Gleebe 1500 testing machine was used in the diffusion bonding experiment on the superplastic magnesium alloy. Then, the shear strength of the joints under different conditions is obtained through shear testing and the optimum processing parameters for the diffusion bonding are achieved. By metallurgical microscope and scanning electron microscope (SEM), it is revealed that the micromechanism of diffusion bonding is the slide of grain boundaries caused by the growth of grains and atom diffusion of the superplastic magnesium alloy.

Effective Moduli of Two-Layered Spherical Inclusions Reinforced Composites

A model is proposed to evaluate the,effective modufi of a composite reinforced by two-layered spherical inclusions.This model is based on the localisation problem of a two- layered spherical inclusion embedded in an infinite matrix.The interations of the reinforced phases are taken into account by using the average matrix stress concept.When the external layer vanishes,the proposed model reduces to the classical Mori-Tanaka's model for spherical inclusions.Theoretical results for the composite of polyester matrix filled by hollow glass spheres and voids show excellent agreement with experimental results.

Micro-scale Realization of Compliant Mechanisms:Manufacturing Processes and Constituent Materials-A Review

Compliant micromechanisms(CMMs)acquire mobility from the deflection of elastic members and have been proven to be robust by millions of silicon MEMS devices.However,the limited deflection of silicon impedes the realization of more sophisticated CMMs,which often require larger deflections.Recently,some novel manufacturing processes have emerged but are not well known by the community.In this paper,the realization of CMMs is reviewed,aiming to provide help to mechanical designers to quickly find the proper realization method for their CMM designs.To this end,the literature surveyed was classified and statistically analyzed,and representative processes were summarized individually to reflect the state of the art of CMM manufacturing.Furthermore,the features of each process were collected into tables to facilitate the reference of readers,and the guidelines for process selection were discussed.The review results indicate that,even though the silicon process remains dominant,great progress has been made in the development of polymer-related and composite-related processes,such as micromolding,SU-8 process,laser ablation,3D printing,and the CNT frameworking.These processes result in constituent materials with a lower Young’s modulus and larger maximum allowable strain than silicon,and therefore allow larger deflection.The geometrical capabilities(e.g.,aspect ratio)of the realization methods should also be considered,because different types of CMMs have different requirements.We conclude that the SU-8 process,3D printing,and carbon nanotube frameworking will play more important roles in the future owing to their excellent comprehensive capabilities.

Nonproportional Low Cycle Fatigue for 316L Stainless Steel

A series of tests are performed for 316L stainless steel under multiaxial nonproportional low cycle fatigue(LCF). The microstructures of the steel in the process of nonproportional LCF are observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Based on macroscopic and microscopic experiments, the micromechanism of additional hardening and the decrease in LCF life under nonproportional cyclic loading are studied. The results of the tests indicate that 316L stainless steel obviously exhibits nonproportional cyclic additional hardening, which is mainly due to rotation of maximum shear stress plane during the LCF under nonproportional cyclic loading.

Thermo-mechanical coupled particle model for rock

A thermo-mechanical coupled particle model for simulation of thermally-induced rock damage based on the particle simulation method was proposed.The simulation results of three verification examples,for which the analytical solutions are available,demonstrate the correctness and usefulness of the thermo-mechanical coupled particle model.This model is applied to simulating an application example with two cases：one is temperature-independent elastic modulus and strength,while the other is temperature-dependent elastic modulus and strength.The related simulation results demonstrate that microscopic crack initiation and propagation process with consideration of temperature-independent and temperature-dependent elastic modulus and strength are different and therefore,the corresponding macroscopic failure patterns of rock are also different.On the contrary,considering the temperature-dependent elastic modulus and strength has no or little effect on the heating conduction behavior.Numerical results,which are obtained by using the proposed model with temperature-dependent elastic modulus and strength,agree well with the experimental results.This also reveals that the rock subjected to heating experiences much more cracking than the rock subjected to cooling.

EFFECT OF TRIAXIAL STRESS CONSTRAINT ON THE DEFORMATION AND FRACTURE OF POLYMERS

One purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview on the research status of deformation,fracture and toughening mechanisms of polymers,including experimental,theoretical and numerical studies.Emphasis is on the more recent progresses of micromechanics of rubber particle cavitation and crazing,and the de- velopment of fracture criteria for ductile polymers. The other purpose is to study the effect of triaxial stress constraint on the deforma- tion and fracture behavior of polymers.Polycarbonate(PC),acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene(ABS)and PC/ABS alloy are considered in this investigation.A series of circumferentially blunt-notched bars are used to experimentally generate different tri- axial stress fields.The fracture surfaces of specimens with different notch radius are examined by scanning electron microscope(SEM)to study the fracture and tough- ening mechanisms of polymer alloy.It is shown that the triaxial stress constraint has a significant effect on the deformation,fracture and toughening of PC,ABS and PC/ABS alloy.We will also discuss the extent to which a micromechanies criterion proposed by the first author can serve as a fracture criterion for ductile polymers. A new ductile fracture parameter is emphasized,which can be employed to evaluate the fracture ductility of polymers.Stress state independence of the parameter for the PC,ABS and PC/ABS alloy has been experimentally verified.

A UNIFIED ENERGY APPROACH TO A CLASS OF MICROMECHANICS MODELS FOR COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Several micromechanics models for the determination of composite moduli are investigated in this paper,including the dilute solution,self-consistent method,generalized self-consistent method,and Mori-Tanaka's method.These mi- cromechanical models have been developed by following quite different approaches and physical interpretations.It is shown that all the micromechanics models share a common ground,the generalized Budiansky's energy-equivalence framework.The dif- ference among the various models is shown to be the way in which the average strain of the inclusion phase is evaluated.As a bonus of this theoretical development,the asymmetry suffered in Mori-Tanaka's method can be circumvented and the applica- bility of the generalized self-consistent method can be extended to materials contain- ing microcracks,multiphase inclusions,non-spherical inclusions,or non-cylindrical inclusions.The relevance to the differential method,double-inclusion model,and Hashin-Shtrikman bounds is also discussed.The application of these micromechanics models to particulate-reinforced composites and microcracked solids is reviewed and some new results are presented.

Discrete Element Modeling of Asphalt Concrete Cracking Using a User-def ined Three-dimensional Micromechanical Approach

We established a user-defined micromechanical model using discrete element method （DEM） to investigate the cracking behavior of asphalt concrete （AC）. Using the ＂Fish＂ language provided in the particle flow code in 3-Demensions （PFC3D）, the air voids and mastics in asphalt concrete were realistically built as two distinct phases. With the irregular shape of individual aggregate particles modeled using a clump of spheres of different sizes, the three-dimensional （3D） discrete element model was able to account for aggregate gradation and fraction. Laboratory uniaxial complex modulus test and indirect tensile strength test were performed to obtain input material parameters for the numerical simulation. A set of the indirect tensile test were simulated to study the cracking behavior of AC at two levels of temperature, i e, -10 ℃ and 15 ℃. The predicted results of the numerical simulation were compared with laboratory experimental measurements. Results show that the 3D DEM model is able to predict accurately the fracture pattern of different asphalt mixtures. Based on the DEM model, the effects of air void content and aggregate volumetric fraction on the cracking behavior of asphalt concrete were evaluated.