MATERIAL MULTIPOLE MECHANICS OF ELASTIC DIELECTRIC COMPOSITES

The overall mechanical and electrical behaviors of elastic dielectric composites are investigated with the aid of the concept of material multipoles. In particular, by introducing a statistical continuum material multipole theory, the effects of the electric-elastic interaction and the microstructure (size, shape, orientation,...) of inhomogeneous particles on the overall behaviors of the composites can be obtained. A basic solution for an ellipsoidal elastic inhomogeneity with electric polarization in an infinite elastic dielectric medium is first given, which shows that classical Eshelby 's elastic solution is modified by the presence of electric-elastic interaction. The overall macroscopic constitutive relations and their overall macroscopic material parameters accounting for electroelastic interaction effect are then derived for the elastic dielectric composites. Some quantitative calculations on the problems with statistical anisotropy, the shape effect and the electric-elastic interaction are finally given for dilute composites.

A new elastoplastic model for bolt-grouted fractured rock

Complexities in mechanical behaviours of rock masses mainly stem from inherent discontinuities,which calls for advanced bolt-grouting techniques for stability enhancement.Understanding the mechanical properties of bolt-grouted fractured rock mass(BGFR)and developing accurate prediction methods are crucial to optimize the BGFR support strategies.This paper establishes a new elastoplastic(E-P)model based on the orthotropic and the Mohr-Coulomb(M-C)plastic-yielding criteria.The elastic parameters of the model were derived through a meso-mechanical analysis of composite materials mechanics(CMM).Laboratory BGFR specimens were prepared and uniaxial compression test and variable-angle shear test considering different bolt arrangements were carried out to obtain the mechanical parameters of the specimens.Results showed that the anisotropy of BGFR mainly depends on the relative volume content of each component material in a certain direction.Moreover,the mechanical parameters deduced from the theory of composite materials which consider the short fibre effect are shown to be in good agreement with those determined by laboratory experiments,and the variation rules maintained good consistency.Last,a case study of a real tunnel project is provided to highlight the effectiveness,validity and robustness of the developed E-P model in prediction of stresses and deformations.

Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by molybdenum-coated carbon nanotubes

To extend the application of carbon nanotubes （CNTs） and explore novel aluminum matrix composites,CNTs were coated by molybdenum layers using metal organic chemical vapor deposition,and then Mo-coated CNT （Mo-CNT）/Al composites were prepared by the combination processes of powder mixing and spark plasma sintering.The influences of powder mixing and Mo-CNT content on the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the composites were investigated.The results show that magnetic stirring is better than mechanical milling for mixing the Mo-CNTs and Al powders.The electrical conductivity of the composites decreases with increasing Mo-CNT content.When the Mo-CNT content is 0.5wt%,the tensile strength and hardness of Mo-CNT/Al reach their maximum values.The tensile strength of 0.5wt% Mo-CNT/Al increases by 29.9%,while the electrical conductivity only decreases by 7.1%,relative to sintered pure Al.The phase analysis of Mo-CNT/Al composites reveals that there is no formation of Al carbide in the composites.

Graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Graphene-reinforced 7055 aluminum alloy composites with different contents of graphene were prepared by spark plasma sintering（SPS）. The structure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Testing results show that the hardness, compressive strength, and yield strength of the composites are improved with the addition of 1wt% graphene. A clean, strong interface is formed between the metal matrix and graphene via metallurgical bonding on atomic scale. Harmful aluminum carbide（Al_4C_3） is not formed during SPS processing. Further addition of graphene（above 1wt%） results in the deterioration in mechanical properties of the composites. The agglomeration of graphene plates is exacerbated with increasing graphene content, which is the main reason for this deterioration.

Improving Densification and Mechanical Properties of FeAl/TiC Composites by Addition of Ni

FeAl/TiC composites were fabricated by hot pressing blended elemental powders. The effects of Ni-doping on thedensification and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. Results show that the density of the composites decreases with the content of TiC increasing, and the addition of Ni significantly improves the densificationprocess by enhancing mass transfer in the bonding phase. The mechanical properties of the composites are closelyrelated with their porosity. Besides increasing the density of the composites, the addition of Ni improves the mechanical properties by other three effects: solution-strengthening the bonding phase, strengthening the FeAI-TiC interfaceand increasing ductile fracture in FeAl phase.

Effects of SiC amount on phase compositions and properties of Ti_3SiC_2-based composites

The phase compositions and properties of Ti3SiC2-based composites with SiC addition of 5%-30% in mass fraction fabricated by in-situ reaction and hot pressing sintering were studied. SiC addition effectively prevented TiC synthesis but facilitated SiC synthesis. The Ti3SiC2/Ti C-SiC composite had better oxidation resistance when SiC added quantity reached 20% but poorer oxidation resistance with SiC addition under 15% than Ti3SiC2/TiC composite at higher temperatures. There were more than half of the original SiC and a few Ti3SiC2 remaining in Ti3SiC2/Ti C-SiC with 20% SiC addition, but all constituents in Ti3Si2/TiC composite were oxidized after 12 h in air at 1500 °C. The oxidation scale thickness of TS30, 1505.78 μm, was near a half of that of T,2715 μm, at 1500 °C for 20 h. Ti3SiC2/Ti C composite had a flexural strength of 474 MPa, which was surpassed by Ti3SiC2/TiC-SiC composites when SiC added amount reached 15%. The strength reached the peak of 518 MPa at 20% SiC added amount.

Mechanical, electrical, and thermal expansion properties of carbon nanotube-based silver and silver–palladium alloy composites

The mechanical, electrical, and thermal expansion properties of carbon nanotube（CNT）-based silver and silver–palladium（10：1, w/w） alloy nanocomposites are reported. To tailor the properties of silver, CNTs were incorporated into a silver matrix by a modified molecular level-mixing process. CNTs interact weakly with silver because of their non-reactive nature and lack of mutual solubility. Therefore, palladium was utilized as an alloying element to improve interfacial adhesion. Comparative microstructural characterizations and property evaluations of the nanocomposites were performed. The structural characterizations revealed that decorated type-CNTs were dispersed, embedded, and anchored into the silver matrix. The experimental results indicated that the modification of the silver and silver–palladium nanocomposite with CNT resulted in increases in the hardness and Young＇s modulus along with concomitant decreases in the electrical conductivity and the coefficient of thermal expansion（CTE）. The hardness and Young＇s modulus of the nanocomposites were increased by 30%？40% whereas the CTE was decreased to 50%-60% of the CTE of silver. The significantly improved CTE and the mechanical properties of the CNT-reinforced silver and silver–palladium nanocomposites are correlated with the intriguing properties of CNTs and with good interfacial adhesion between the CNTs and silver as a result of the fabrication process and the contact action of palladium as an alloying element.

Mechanical properties of lattice grid composites

An equivalent continuum method only considering the stretching deformation of struts was used to study the in-plane stiffness and strength of planar lattice grid com- posite materials. The initial yield equations of lattices were deduced. Initial yield surfaces were depicted separately in different 3D and 2D stress spaces. The failure envelope is a polyhedron in 3D spaces and a polygon in 2D spaces. Each plane or line of the failure envelope is corresponding to the yield or buckling of a typical bar row. For lattices with more than three bar rows, subsequent yield of the other bar row after initial yield made the lattice achieve greater limit strength. The importance of the buckling strength of the grids was strengthened while the grids were relative sparse. The integration model of the method was used to study the nonlinear mechanical properties of strain hardening grids. It was shown that the integration equation could accurately model the complete stress-strain curves of the grids within small deformations.

Mechanical and Thermal Expansion Properties of SiCp/ZAlSi9Mg Composites Produced by Centrifugal Casting

Centrifugal casting was applied to produce cylindrical castings using SiCp/Al composite slurry,which contained 20%SiC particles.The castings comprised a particle free zone and a particle rich zone.The amount of SiC particles had a dramatic transformation from the particle rich zone to the particle free zone,and the maximum content of SiC particles in the particle rich zone reached up to 40 vol%.The ultimate tensile strength（UTS） of the as-cast SiCp / Al composites in the particle rich zone was 143 MPa,and the fracture was caused by the desorption of SiC particles from matrix alloy.The coefficient of thermal expansion（CTE） of the SiC_p / Al composites in the range of 20 and 100 ℃ was determined as 16.67×10^（-6） s^（-1）,and the experimental CTE was lower than the predicted data based on the Kerner＇s model.The results show that the decrease in CTE in the case of the composites at high temperature stage can be attributed to the solute concentration of Si in Al and the plastic deformation of the matrix alloy in the composites with void architecture.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Si_3N_4 Composites Containing SiC Platelet

Hoppressed Si3N4/SiC platelet composites had been investigated with respect to their microstructure and mechanical properties. The results indicate that Vickers hardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness of the composites were increased by the addition of SiC platelet until the content up to 20 vol pct. A slight decrease in flexural Strength was measured at room temperature with increasing SiC platelet content. The high temperature flexural strength tests at 1150, 1250, and 1350℃ were conducted. It was found that the flexural strength at elevated temperature was degraded with the rising temperature, and the downward trend of flexural strength for the composite containing 10 vol. pct SiC platelet was less. The results indicate that SiC platelet had a positive influence on the high temperature strength. Effects of SiC platelet reinforcement were presented

Effects of Processing Technologies on Mechanical Properties of SiC Particulate Reinforced Magnesium Matrix Composites

Mg matrix composites with SiC particles ranging from 5vol%-25vol% were prepared using stirring casting method. Die casting, squeezing casting, and extrusion were applied for inhibiting or eliminating the defects such as gas porosity and shrinkage void. Through die casting and squeezing casting, most of the defects in Mg matrix composites could be eliminated, but the mechanical properties were improved limitedly. On the other hand, after hot extrusion, not only most of the defects of as-cast composites ingots were eliminated, but also the mechanical properties were improved markedly. With the addition of SiC, the tensile strength, yield strength and elastic modulus of as extrusion SiCp/AZ61 composites increased remarkably, and the elongation decreased obviously.

Strain-rate Sensitivity of Aluminum 2024-T6/TiB_2 Composites and Aluminum 2024-T6

Strain-rate sensitivities of 55vol%-65vol% aluminum 2024-T6/TiB2 composites and the corresponding aluminum 2024-T6 matrix were investigated using split Hopkinson pressure bar method. The experimental results showed that 55vol%-65vol% aluminum 2024-T6/TiB2 composites exhibited significant strain-rate sensitivities, which were three times higher than the strain-rate sensitivity of the aluminum 2024-T6 matrix. The strain-rate sensitivity of the aluminum 2024-T6 matrix composites rose obviously with increasing reinforcement content（up to 60%）, which agreed with that from the previous researches. But it decreased as the ceramic reinforcement content reached 65%. After high strain rates compression, a large number of dislocations and micro-cracks were found inside the matrix and the Ti B2 particles, respectively. These micro-cracks can accelerate the brittle fracture of the composites. The aluminum 2024-T6/Ti B2 composites showed various fracture characteristics and shear instability was the predominant failure mechanism under dynamic loading.

Microstructure and Mechanical Performance of Cu-SnO_2-rGO based Composites Prepared by Plasma Activated Sintering

A novel chemical technique combined with unique plasma activated sintering（PAS） was utilized to prepare consolidated copper matrix composites（CMCs） by adding Cu-SnO2-rGO layered micro powders as reinforced fillers into Cu matrix. The repeating Cu-SnO2-rGO structure was composed of inner dispersed reduced graphene oxide（r GO）, SnO2 as intermedia and outer Cu coating. SnO2 was introduced to the surface of rGO sheets in order to prevent the graphene aggregation with SnO2 serving as spacer and to provide enough active sites for subsequent Cu deposition. This process can guarantee rGO sheets to suffi ciently disperse and Cu nanoparticles to tightly and uniformly anchor on each layer of rGO by means of the SnO2 active sites as well as strictly control the reduction speed of Cu^2＋. The complete cover of Cu nanoparticles on rGO sheets thoroughly avoids direct contact among rGO layers. Hence, the repeating structure can simultaneously solve the wettability problem between rGO and Cu matrix as well as improve the bonding strength between rGO and Cu matrix at the well-bonded Cu-SnO2-rGO interface. The isolated rGO can effectively hinder the glide of dislocation at Cu-rGO interface and support the applied loads. Finally, the compressive strength of CMCs was enhanced when the strengthening effi ciency reached up to 41.

Mechanical Properties with High Temperature and the Microstructure of Carbon/Phenolic Ablative Composites

Carbon fiber reinforced phenolic based composites were prepared by laminating molding. The variation in mechanical characteristics of composites was evaluated with heating temperature and procedure. The microstructures of composites at different temperatures were observed by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope, respectively. The results showed that the main weight loss range of carbon/phenolic is from 300 to 800 ℃, before 700 ℃ the weight loss was resulted from pyrolysis and after that the weight loss was mainly by oxidation in the fiber phase; with the heat treatment temperature rising, the bonding at the interface of carbon fibers and resin matrix weakened; in the pyrolysis temperature range, the interlaminar shear strength（ILSS） of carbon/phenolic showed a rapid drop with temperature rising, and then decrease in the rate of ILSS became relatively slower; the fiber oxidation had little influence on the ILSS.

Thermal Expansion and Mechanical Properties of Middle Reinforcement Content SiCp/Al Composites Fabricated by PM Technology

Middle reinforcement content SiCp/Al composites（Vp=30%, 35% and 40%） for precision optical systems applications were fabricated by powder metallurgy technology. The composites were free of porosity and SiC particles distributed uniformly in the composites. The mean linear coefficients of thermal expansion（20-100 ℃） of SiCp/Al composites ranged from 11.6×10-6 to 13.3×10-6 K-1 and decreased with an increase in volume fraction of SiC content. The experimental coeffi cients of thermal expansion agreed well with predicted values based on Kerner＇s model. The Brinell hardness increased from 116 to 147, and the modulus increased from 99 to 112 GPa for the corresponding composites. The tensile strengths were higher than 320 MPa, but no signifi cant increasing trend between tensile strength and SiC content was observed.

Research Progress on Preparation and Properties of Zirconium Carbide Matrix Composites

Zirconium carbide（ZrC） exhibits considerable potential for applications as aerospace thermal protection and the Generation-Ⅳ nuclear fuel inert materials due to its high melting point,exceptional hardness,good ablation resistance and low neutron absorption cross-section.Nevertheless,low sinterability of ZrC powders and poor fracture toughness and reliability of bulk ceramics limit their wide applications in extreme environments.This paper reviews the state of the art of preparation and properties of ZrC composites.Optimizing the sintering process and tailoring the chemical constituents of raw powders and sintering aids could improve sinterability to produce dense bulk ceramics.Different additives such as refractory metals,carbides,silicides,oxides,or carbon fibers are introduced into the ZrC matrix in order to improve fracture toughness,oxidation resistance or thermal shock resistance,etc.Further studies are needed to explore the effects of intrinsic defects（vacancies,dislocations,and grain or phase boundaries,etc.） and additives on microstructure and properties at elevated temperatures.

Effects of Carbon Nanotubes by Electrophoretic Deposition on Interlaminar Properties of Two Dimensional Carbon/carbon Composites

Carbon nanotubes（CNTs） were deposited uniformly on carbon cloth by electrophoretic deposition（EPD）. Thereafter, CNT-doped clothes were stacked and densified by pyrocarbon via chemical vapor infiltration to fabricate two-dimensional（2 D） carbon/carbon（C/C） composites. Effects of EPD CNTs on interlaminar shear performance and mode Ⅱ interlaminar fracture toughness（GⅡc） of 2 D C/C composites were investigated. Results showed that EPD CNTs were uniformly covered on carbon fibers, acting as a porous coating. Such a CNT coating can obviously enhance the interlaminar shear strength and GⅡc of 2 D C/C composites. With increaing EPD CNTs, the interlaminar shear strength and GⅡc of 2 D C/C composites increase greatly and then decrease, both of which run up to their maximum values, i e, 13.6 MPa and 436.0 J·m-2, when the content of EPD CNTs is 0.54 wt%, 2.27 and 1.45 times of the baseline. Such improvements in interlaminar performance of 2 D C/C composites are mainly beneficial from their increased cohesion of interlaminar matrix, which is caused not only by the direct reinforcing effect of EPD CNT network but also by the capacity of EPD CNTs to refine pyrocarbon matrix and induce multilayered microstructures that greatly increase the crack propagation resistance through ＂crack-blocking and-deflecting mechanisms＂.

Draping Behavior of Carbon Non-Crimp Fabrics and Its Effects on Mechanical Performance of the Hemispherical Composites

In order to investigate the draping behavior of non-crimp fabrics（NCFs）, two types of carbon NCFs with tricot-chain stitches or chain stitches were formed on a hemispherical mould via a stretch forming process. The shear angle and forming defects of the fabrics were measured on the hemisphere, under different blank holder forces（BHFs）. The results showed that increasing BHF could enhance the shear angle slightly, reduce the asymmetry for the deformation of the fabrics, and change the main type of the process-induced defects. Besides, compression tests were performed on the corresponding composite components. By analyzing the change of fiber volume fraction and structural parameters of the textile reinforcements, the effects of draping behavior of NCFs on the mechanical performance of the composites were studied. The results reveal that draping process has distinguishable impacts on the mechanical properties of the final components, which is closely related to the stitching pattern of the NCFs.

Microstructure and Mechanical Property of in-situ Al-Cu/TiC Composites

An approach named direct reaction synthesis (DRS) has been developed to fabricate particulate composites with an extremely fine reinforcement size. ID situ Al matrix composites were fabri-cated by DRS. Extensive analysis of the composites microstructure using SEM and TEM identify that the reinforcement formed during the DRS process is Ti carbide (TiC) particle, generally less than 1.0 μm. The reacted, semisolid extruded samples exhibit a homogeneous distribution of fine TiC particles in Al-Cu matrix, Mechanical property evaluation of the composites has revealed a very high tensile strength relative to the matrix alloy. Fractographic analysis indicates ductile failure although the ductility and strength are limited by the presence of coarse titanium aluminides (Al3Ti).