Computer Simulation of the Indentation Creep Tests on Particle-Reinforced Composites

A systematical simulation has been carried out on the indentation creep test on particle-reinforced composites. The deformation, failure mechanisms and life are analyzed by three reasonable models. The following five factors have been considered simultaneously: creep property of the particle, creep property of the matrix, the shape of the particle, the volume fraction of the particle and the size (relative size to the particle) of the indentation indenter. For all the cases, the power law respecting to the applied stress can be used to model the steady indentation creep depth rate of the indenter, and the detail expressions have been presented. The computer simulation precision is analyzed by the two-phase model and the three-phase model. Two places of the stress concentration are found in the composites. One is ahead of the indentation indenter, where the high stress state is deduced by the edge of the indenter and will decrease rapidly near to a steady value with the creep time. The other one is at the interface, where the high stress state is deduced by the misfit of material properties between the particles and matrix. It has been found that the creep dissipation energy density other than a stress parameter can be used to be the criterion to model the debonding of the interfaces. With the criterion of the critical creep dissipation energy density, a power law to the applied stress with negative exponent can be used to model the failure life deduced by the debonding of interfaces. The influences of the shape of the particles and the matching of creep properties of particle and matrix can be discussed for the failure. With a crack model, the further growth of interface crack is analyzed, and some important experimental phenomena can be predicted. The failure mechanism which the particle will be punched into matrix has been also discussed. The critical differences between the creep properties of the particles and matrix have been calculated, after a parameter has been defined. In the view of competition of failure mechanisms, the best matching of the creep properties of the two phases and the best shape of the particles are discussed for the composite design.

High Speed Steel and WC Particle-Reinforced Composites Produce by Spray Forming

The process of spray forming utilized to fabricate WC particle-reinforced high speed steel composites has been studied. In addition, microstructures and mechanical properties of M2 high speed steel and its composites made by spray forming have been analyzed. The results show that the primary carbides of high speed steel are of two types: MC and MbC. With the increase in flight distance, the morphology of the primary carbides varies from fine fish-bone-like to islandlike and both bending strength and hardness increase. With the increase in volume fraction of WC reinforcement particles,hardness of the composites increases considerably, but bending strength, however, appears to be a decreasing tendency.

A thermo-viscoelastic model for particle-reinforced composites based on micromechanical modeling

Micromechanics-based constitutive models offer superior ability to estimate the effective mechanical properties for the composites,which greatly promote the computational efficiency in the multiscale analysis for composite structures.In this work,a thermo-viscoelastic model for particle-reinforced composites is proposed to estimate their thermal-mechanical coupling behaviors in terms of a micromechanics-based homogenization method in the time domain.The matrix and particles of the composites are modeled as“thermo-rheologically complex”viscoelastic materials.The temperature-dependent effective elastic strain energy ratios of particle to composite are proposed to evaluate the contributions of the matrix and particles.The thermo-viscoelastic model for the composites is then formulated by superposing the matrix and particle’s contributions.Finite element simulations based on the representative volume element models are employed to validate the constitutive model under various thermal-mechanical coupling loads.The effects of the loading rate,viscous parameter and particle content on the effective thermal-mechanical responses of the composites are also comprehensively discussed.The experimental data from literature are also employed to verify the constitutive model.The findings show that the proposed thermo-viscoelastic model can accurately predict the thermal-mechanical coupling behaviors for the particle-reinforced composites.

Graphene Aerogel Composites with Self‑Organized Nanowires‑Packed Honeycomb Structure for Highly Efficient Electromagnetic Wave Absorption

With vigorous developments in nanotechnology,the elaborate regulation of microstructure shows attractive potential in the design of electromagnetic wave absorbers.Herein,a hierarchical porous structure and composite heterogeneous interface are constructed successfully to optimize the electromagnetic loss capacity.The macro–micro-synergistic graphene aerogel formed by the ice template‑assisted 3D printing strategy is cut by silicon carbide nanowires(SiC_(nws))grown in situ,while boron nitride(BN)interfacial structure is introduced on graphene nanoplates.The unique composite structure forces multiple scattering of incident EMWs,ensuring the combined effects of interfacial polarization,conduction networks,and magnetic-dielectric synergy.Therefore,the as-prepared composites present a minimum reflection loss value of−37.8 dB and a wide effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 9.2 GHz(from 8.8 to 18.0 GHz)at 2.5 mm.Besides,relying on the intrinsic high-temperature resistance of SiC_(nws) and BN,the EAB also remains above 5.0 GHz after annealing in air environment at 600℃ for 10 h.

PARTICULATE SIZE EFFECTS IN THE PARTICLE-REINFORCED METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES

The influences of I,article size on the mechanical properties of the particulate metal matrix composite;are obviously displayed in the experimental observations. However, the phenomenon can not be predicted directly using the conventional elastic-plastic theory. It is because that no length scale parameters are involved in the conventional theory. In the present research, using the strain gradient plasticity theory, a systematic research of the particle size effect in the particulate metal matrix composite is carried out. The roles of many composite factors, such as: the particle size, the Young's modulus of the particle, the particle aspect ratio and volume fraction, as well as the plastic strain hardening exponent of the matrix material, are studied in detail. In order to obtain a general understanding for the composite behavior, two kinds of particle shapes, ellipsoid and cylinder, are considered to check the strength dependence of the smooth or non-smooth particle surface. Finally, the prediction results will be applied to the several experiments about the ceramic particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites. The material length scale parameter is predicted.

Damping of Particle-Reinforced Composites Due to Interfacial Sliding

Mechanical damping of composites reinforced by randomly distributed particles due to interfacial sliding is analyzed. The matrix is elastically isotropic, and the particles are assumed rigid and of identical radii. An auxiliary problem is solved at first for the steady-state response of an infinite matrix containing a single inclusion to a harmonic external load. The result is then used to derive the explicit expression of the specific damping capability of the composite by using Mori-Tanaka＇s mean-field method. Numerical results are given and discussed in detail. It is concluded that the overall damping of the composite depends on several factors, including volume fraction of particles, Poisson＇s ratio of matrix and a dimensionless parameter that incorporates the combined effects of particle size, matrix stiffness, interracial viscosity and vibration frequency. The result is expected to be helpful in tailoring the damping performance of particle-reinforced composites.

Synthesis of nano-to micrometer-sized B_(4)C particle-reinforced aluminum matrix composites via powder metallurgy and subsequent heat treatment

B4C/6061Al composites reinforced with nano-to micrometer-sized B4C particles were fabricated via powder metallurgy route consisting of spark plasma sintering(SPS)and hot extrusion and rolling(HER),followed by T6 treatment.The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties were investigated.Results showed that the status of B4C particles changed from a network after SPS to a dispersion distribution after HER.The substructured grains reached 66.5%owing to the pinning effect of nano-sized B4C,and the grain size was refined from 3.12μm to 1.56μm after HER.After T6 treatment,dispersed Mg_(2)Si precipitated phases formed,and the grain size increased to 1.87μm.Fine recrystallized grains around micro-sized B4C were smaller than those in the areas with uniform distribution of nano-sized B4C and Mg_(2)Si.The stress distributions of as-rolled and heated composites were similar,considering that the T6 heat treatment was only effective in eliminating the first internal stress.The Vickers,microhardness,and tensile strength of as-SPSed composites were greatly improved from HV 55.45,0.86 GPa,and 180 MPa to HV 77.51,1.08 GPa,and 310 MPa,respectively.Despite the precipitation strengthening,the corresponding values of as-heated composites decreased to HV 70.82,0.85 GPa,and 230 MPa owing to grain coarsening.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of MgAl_2O_4 particle-reinforced AC4C aluminum composites

MgAl2O4 particle-reinforced AC4C based alloy composites were fabricated by the stirring-casting method. The effects of the average sizes and the size distributions of MgAl2O4 particles on the dispersibility were investigated, and the microstructures, strength, and fatigue properties of MgAl2O4 particle-reinforced AC4C based alloy composites were evaluated. Tensile strength in the MgAl2O4 particle-reinforced AC4C based alloy composite was increased by using the classified particles. The fatigue limit at 107 cycles in the MgA1204 particle-reinforced AC4C-Cu composite increased by 27% compared to the unreinforced alloy at 250 ~C. Dislocations were observed in the matrix around the MgAl204 particle which resulted from the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients between MgAl2O4 and Al, and resisted failure and caused fatigue cracks to propagate around the MgAl2O4 particles, resulting in extensive crack deflection and crack bowing which contributed to the improvement of fatigue strength.

CVD Coating of Oxide Particles for the Production of Novel Particle-Reinforced Iron-Based Metal Matrix Composites

This paper focuses on surface metallization of oxide particles by means of titanium nitride (TiN) thin films for the production of highly wear-resistant metal matrix composites (MMC) on Fe-base for wear protection applications. These powder-metallurgically produced materials consist of a metallic matrix with embedded oxide hard-particles such as alumina or zirconia. The poor wettability of these oxides by iron-base melts and the resulting weak bonding between the components lead to porous materials and weak tribomechanical properties, thus limiting the material’s application range. To counteract such problems, this paper describes a processing route in which the oxide particles are pre-metallized by application of a thin TiN coating by means of chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This surface metallization should increase the wettability and bonding behavior between the ionically bonded particles and the iron-base alloy, which should improve the mechanical and tribological properties. Therefore, a CVD device for coating ceramic particles was constructed and is described in this paper. Furthermore, coatings deposited on the ceramic sub-strates were investigated by means of RBS, SEM and XRD. In addition, the feasibility of producing metal matrix composites (MMC) by admixing the TiN-coated oxide particles with a Fe-base alloy and their further densification by supersolidus liquid-phase sintering is demonstrated.

Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene/carbon composites for advanced supercapacitors:Synthesis,progress,and perspectives

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional(2D)layered transition metal carbides/nitrides that show promising potential for energy storage applications due to their high-specific surface areas,excellent electron conductivity,good hydrophilicity,and tunable terminations.Among various types of MXenes,Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) is the most widely studied for use in capacitive energy storage applications,especially in supercapacitors(SCs).However,the stacking and oxidation of MXene sheets inevitably lead to a significant loss of electrochemically active sites.To overcome such challenges,carbon materials are frequently incorporated into MXenes to enhance their electrochemical properties.This review introduces the common strategies used for synthesizing Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x),followed by a comprehensive overview of recent developments in Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/carbon composites as electrode materials for SCs.Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/carbon composites are categorized based on the dimensions of carbons,including 0D carbon dots,1D carbon nanotubes and fibers,2D graphene,and 3D carbon materials(activated carbon,polymer-derived carbon,etc.).Finally,this review also provides a perspective on developing novel MXenes/carbon composites as electrodes for application in SCs.

Strength and elastic modulus enhancement in Mg-Li-Al matrix composites reinforced by ex situ TiB2 particles via stir casting

A novel Mg^(-1)0Li-3Al(wt.%,LA103)matrix composite reinforced by ex situ micron TiB_(2) particles was developed in the present study.The ball milling and cold pressing pretreatment of the reinforcements made it feasible to prepare this material under stir casting conditions with good dispersion.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites prepared by different pretreatment methods were analyzed in detail.The TiB_(2) particles in the Al-TiB_(2)/LA103 composite using the pretreatment process were uniformly distributed in the microstructure due to the formation of highly wettable core-shell units in the melt.Compared with the matrix alloys,the Al-TiB_(2)/LA103 composite exhibited effective strength and elastic modulus improvements while maintaining acceptable elongation.The strengthening effect in the composites was mainly attributed to the strong grain refining effect of TiB2.This work shows a balance of high specific modulus(36.1 GPa·cm^(3)·g^(-1))and elongation(8.4%)with the conventional stir casting path,which is of considerable application value.

Mechanical behaviors of backfill-rock composites: Physical shear test and back-analysis

The shear behavior of backfill-rock composites is crucial for mine safety and the management of surface subsidence.For exposing the shear failure mechanism of backfill-rock composites,we conducted shear tests on backfill-rock composites under three constant normal loads,compared with the unfilled rock.To investigate the macro-and meso-failure characteristics of the samples in the shear tests,the cracking behavior of samples was recorded by a high-speed camera and acoustic emission monitoring.In parallel with the experimental test,the numerical models of backfill-rock composites and unfilled rock were established using the discrete element method to analyze the continuous-discontinuous shearing process.Based on the damage mechanics and statistics,a novel shear constitutive model was proposed to describe mechanical behavior.The results show that backfill-rock composites had a special bimodal phenomenon of shearing load-deformation curve,i.e.the first shearing peak corresponded to rock break and the second shearing peak induced by the broken of aeolian sand-cement/fly ash paste backfill.Moreover,the shearing characteristic curves of the backfill-rock composites could be roughly divided into four stages,i.e.the shear failure of the specimens experienced:stage I:stress concentration;stage II:crack propagation;stage III:crack coalescence;stage IV:shearing friction.The numerical simulation shows that the existence of aeolian sand-cement/fly ash paste backfill inevitably altered the coalescence type and failure mode of the specimens and had a strengthening effect on the shear strength of backfillrock composites.Based on damage mechanics and statistics,a shear constitutive model was proposed to describe the shear fracture characteristics of specimens,especially the bimodal phenomenon.Finally,the micro-and meso-mechanisms of shear failure were discussed by combining the micro-test and numerical results.The research can advance the better understanding of the shear behavior of backfill-rock composites and contribute to the safety of mining engineering.

Ultraviolet‑Irradiated All‑Organic Nanocomposites with Polymer Dots for High‑Temperature Capacitive Energy Storage

Polymer dielectrics capable of operating efficiently at high electric fields and elevated temperatures are urgently demanded by next-generation electronics and electrical power systems.While inorganic fillers have been extensively utilized to improved high-temperature capacitive performance of dielectric polymers,the presence of thermodynamically incompatible organic and inorganic components may lead to concern about the long-term stability and also complicate film processing.Herein,zero-dimensional polymer dots with high electron affinity are introduced into photoactive allyl-containing poly(aryl ether sulfone)to form the all-organic polymer composites for hightemperature capacitive energy storage.Upon ultraviolet irradiation,the crosslinked polymer composites with polymer dots are efficient in suppressing electrical conduction at high electric fields and elevated temperatures,which significantly reduces the high-field energy loss of the composites at 200℃.Accordingly,the ultraviolet-irradiated composite film exhibits a discharged energy density of 4.2 J cm^(−3)at 200℃.Along with outstanding cyclic stability of capacitive performance at 200℃,this work provides a promising class of dielectric materials for robust high-performance all-organic dielectric nanocomposites.

Self‑Assembly of Binderless MXene Aerogel for Multiple‑Scenario and Responsive Phase Change Composites with Ultrahigh Thermal Energy Storage Density and Exceptional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding

The severe dependence of traditional phase change materials(PCMs)on the temperature-response and lattice deficiencies in versatility cannot satisfy demand for using such materials in complex application scenarios.Here,we introduced metal ions to induce the self-assembly of MXene nanosheets and achieve their ordered arrangement by combining suction filtration and rapid freezing.Subsequently,a series of MXene/K^(+)/paraffin wax(PW)phase change composites(PCCs)were obtained via vacuum impregnation in molten PW.The prepared MXene-based PCCs showed versatile applications from macroscale technologies,successfully transforming solar,electric,and magnetic energy into thermal energy stored as latent heat in the PCCs.Moreover,due to the absence of binder in the MXene-based aerogel,MK3@PW exhibits a prime solar-thermal conversion efficiency(98.4%).Notably,MK3@PW can further convert the collected heat energy into electric energy through thermoelectric equipment and realize favorable solar-thermal-electric conversion(producing 206 mV of voltage with light radiation intensity of 200 mw cm^(−2)).An excellent Joule heat performance(reaching 105℃with an input voltage of 2.5 V)and responsive magnetic-thermal conversion behavior(a charging time of 11.8 s can achieve a thermal insulation effect of 285 s)for contactless thermotherapy were also demonstrated by the MK3@PW.Specifically,as a result of the ordered arrangement of MXene nanosheet self-assembly induced by potassium ions,MK3@PW PCC exhibits a higher electromagnetic shielding efficiency value(57.7 dB)than pure MXene aerogel/PW PCC(29.8 dB)with the same MXene mass.This work presents an opportunity for the multi-scene response and practical application of PCMs that satisfy demand of next-generation multifunctional PCCs.

In-situ additive manufacturing of high strength yet ductility titanium composites with gradient layered structure using N_(2)

It has always been challenging work to reconcile the contradiction between the strength and plasticity of titanium materials.Laser powder bed fusion(LPBF) is a convenient method to fabricate innovative composites including those inspired by gradient layered materials.In this work,we used LPBF to selectively prepare Ti N/Ti gradient layered structure(GLSTi)composites by using different N_(2)–Ar ratios during the LPBF process.We systematically investigated the mechanisms of in-situ synthesis Ti N,high strength and ductility of GLSTi composites using microscopic analysis,TEM characterization,and tensile testing with digital image correlation.Besides,a digital correspondence was established between the N_(2) concentration and the volume fraction of LPBF in-situ synthesized Ti N.Our results show that the GLSTi composites exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to pure titanium fabricated by LPBF under pure Ar.Specifically,the tensile strength of GLSTi was more than 1.5times higher than that of LPBF-formed pure titanium,reaching up to 1100 MPa,while maintaining a high elongation at fracture of 17%.GLSTi breaks the bottleneck of high strength but low ductility exhibited by conventional nanoceramic particle-strengthened titanium matrix composites,and the hetero-deformation induced strengthening effect formed by the Ti N/Ti layered structure explained its strength-plasticity balanced principle.The microhardness exhibits a jagged variation of the relatively low hardness of 245 HV0.2 for the pure titanium layer and a high hardness of 408 HV0.2 for the N_(2) in-situ synthesis layer.Our study provides a new concept for the structure-performance digital customization of 3D-printed Ti-based composites.

Towards data-efficient mechanical design of bicontinuous composites usinggenerative AI

The distribution of material phases is crucial to determine the composite’s mechanical property.While the full structure-mechanics relationship of highly ordered material distributions can be studied with finite number of cases,this relationship is difficult to be revealed for complex irregular distributions,preventing design of such material structures to meet certain mechanical requirements.The noticeable developments of artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms in material design enables to detect the hidden structure-mechanics correlations which is essential for designing composite of complex structures.It is intriguing how these tools can assist composite design.Here,we focus on the rapid generation of bicontinuous composite structures together with the stress distribution in loading.We find that generative AI,enabled through fine-tuned Low Rank Adaptation models,can be trained with a few inputs to generate both synthetic composite structures and the corresponding von Mises stress distribution.The results show that this technique is convenient in generating massive composites designs with useful mechanical information that dictate stiffness,fracture and robustness of the material with one model,and such has to be done by several different experimental or simulation tests.This research offers valuable insights for the improvement of composite design with the goal of expanding the design space and automatic screening of composite designs for improved mechanical functions.

Highly Aligned Graphene Aerogels for Multifunctional Composites

Stemming from the unique in-plane honeycomb lattice structure and the sp^(2)hybridized carbon atoms bonded by exceptionally strong carbon–carbon bonds,graphene exhibits remarkable anisotropic electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties.To maximize the utilization of graphene’s in-plane properties,pre-constructed and aligned structures,such as oriented aerogels,films,and fibers,have been designed.The unique combination of aligned structure,high surface area,excellent electrical conductivity,mechanical stability,thermal conductivity,and porous nature of highly aligned graphene aerogels allows for tailored and enhanced performance in specific directions,enabling advancements in diverse fields.This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in highly aligned graphene aerogels and their composites.It highlights the fabrication methods of aligned graphene aerogels and the optimization of alignment which can be estimated both qualitatively and quantitatively.The oriented scaffolds endow graphene aerogels and their composites with anisotropic properties,showing enhanced electrical,mechanical,and thermal properties along the alignment at the sacrifice of the perpendicular direction.This review showcases remarkable properties and applications of aligned graphene aerogels and their composites,such as their suitability for electronics,environmental applications,thermal management,and energy storage.Challenges and potential opportunities are proposed to offer new insights into prospects of this material.

Effect of modified aramid nanofiber on compatibilization of natural rubber/epoxidized natural rubber composites

The combination of natural rubber(NR)with epoxidized natural rubber(ENR)could improve the wet slid resistance,mechanical properties,abrasion resistance and thermo-oxidative aging resistance of NR,which showed important research significance.Aramid nanofiber,as a new nano filler for polymer developed in recent years,had the advantages of both macroscopic fibers and polymer nanomaterials.The NR/ENR composites were prepared by dry mixing with NR and the pre-composite prepared from ENR latex and the modified aramid nanofibers(t-ANF).

Effects of Sinusoidal Vibration of Crystallization Roller on Composite Microstructure of Ti/Al Laminated Composites by Twin-Roll Casting

A new,innovative vibration cast-rolling technology of “electromagnetic stirring+dendrite breaking+asynchronous rolling” was proposed with the adoption of sinusoidal vibration of crystallization roller to prepare Ti/Al laminated composites,and the effect of sinusoidal vibration of crystallization roller on composite microstructure was investigated in detail.The results show that the metallurgical bonding of titanium and aluminum is realized by mesh interweaving and mosaic meshing,instead of transition bonding by forming metal compound layer.The meshing depth between titanium and aluminum layers (6.6μm) of cast-rolling materials with strong vibration of crystallization roller (amplitude 0.87 mm,vibration frequency 25 Hz) is doubled compared with that of traditional cast-rolling materials (3.1μm),and the composite interfacial strength(27.0 N/mm) is twice as high as that of traditional cast-rolling materials (14.9 N/mm).This is because with the action of high-speed superposition of strong tension along the rolling direction,strong pressure along the width direction and rolling force,the composite linearity evolves from "straight line" with traditional casting-rolling to "curved line",and the depth and number of cracks in the interface increases greatly compared with those with traditional cast-rolling,which leads to the deep expansion of the meshing area between interfacial layers and promotes the stable enhancement of composite quality.

Rational design and synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites for solid-state thermoelectromagnetic cooling near room temperature

Materials with both large magnetocaloric response and high thermoelectric performance are of vital importance for all-solid-state thermoelectromagnetic cooling.These two properties,however,hardly coexist in single phase materials except previously reported hexagonal Cr_(1-x)Te half metal where a relatively high magnetic entropy change(-△S_(M))of~2.4 J·kg^(-1)·K^(-1)@5 T and a moderate thermoelectric figure of merit(ZT)of~1.2×10^(-2)@300 K are simultaneously recorded.Herein we aim to increase the thermoelectric performance of Cr_(1-x)Te by compositing with semiconducting Ag_(2)Te.It is discovered that the in-situ synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites by reacting their constitute elements above melting temperatures is unsuccessful because of strong phase competition.Specifically,at elevated temperatures(T>800 K),Cr_(1-x)Te has a much lower deformation energy than Ag_(2)Te and tends to become more Cr-deficient by capturing Te from Ag_(2)Te.Therefore,Ag is insufficiently reacted and as a metal it deteriorates ZT.We then rationalize the synthesis of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites by ex-situ mix of the pre-prepared Cr_(1-x)Te and Ag_(2)Te binary compounds followed by densification at a low sintering temperature of 573 K under a pressure of 3.5 GPa.We show that by compositing with 7 mol%Ag_(2)Te,the Seebeck coefficient of Cr_(1-x)Te is largely increased while the lattice thermal conductivity is considerably reduced,leading to 72%improvement of ZT.By comparison,-△S_(M)is only slightly reduced by 10%in the composite.Our work demonstrates the potential of Cr_(1-x)Te/Ag_(2)Te composites for thermoelectromagnetic cooling.