Innovative Teaching Approach Based on Finite Element Technique in Material Mechanics for Vocational Education

This paper proposed an innovative teaching approach based on finite element technique(FET)to improve the understanding of material mechanics.A teaching experiment was conducted using pure bending deformation of a beam as an example,and the deformation and stress distribution of the beam were analyzed using FET.The results showed that using color stress nephograms and color U nephograms can improve students’learning outcomes in mechanics classroom.The high levels of satisfaction and interest in incorporating new techniques into the classroom suggest that there is a need to explore and develop innovative teaching methods in mechanics and related fields.This approach may inspire educators to develop more effective ways of teaching material mechanics,and our research can contribute to the advancement of mechanics education.

Challenges and Countermeasures in the Teaching of Material Mechanics in Vocational Colleges

Material Mechanics is an important subject for science and engineering students in vocational colleges.However,its teaching effect has not been up to par for a long time.In order to improve the teaching quality,this paper discusses four problems existing in the teaching of Material Mechanics and proposes corresponding countermeasures.Rich animations and Mises stress nephograms can be formed using new techniques,such as finite element simulation,making it easier for students to understand abstract concepts.The introduction of engineering-related cases can enhance students’interest,and students’hands-on skills and innovation can be improved with open mechanics laboratory.The suggestions are worthy of reference and should be flexibly applied to the teaching of Material Mechanics.

Unleashing the Potential of Unidirectional Mechanical Materials: Breakthroughs and Promising Applications

The emergence of mechanically one-way materials presents an exciting opportunity for materials science and engineering. These substances exhibit unique nonreciprocal mechanical responses, enabling them to selectively channel mechanical energy and facilitate directed sound propagation, controlled mass transport, and concentration of mechanical energy amidst random motion. This article explores the fundamentals of mechanically one-way materials, their potential applications across various industries, and the economic and environmental considerations related to their production and use.

Discussion on electromagnetic crack face boundary conditions for the fracture mechanics of magneto-electro-elastic materials

This paper discusses electromagnetic boundary conditions on crack faces in magneto- electroelastic materials, where piezoelectric, piezomagnetic and magnetoelectric effects are coupled. A notch of finite thickness in these materials is also addressed. Four idealized electromagnetic boundary conditions assumed for the crack-faces are separately investigated, i.e. （a） electrically and magnetically impermeable （crack-face）, （b） electrically impermeable and magnetically permeable, （c） electrically permeable and magnetically impermeable, and （d） electrically and magnetically permeable. The influence of the notch thickness on important parameters, such as the field intensity factors, the energy release rate at the notch tips and the electromagnetic fields inside the notch, are studied and the results are obtained in closed-form. Results under different idealized electromagnetic boundary conditions on the crack-face are compared, and the applicability of these idealized assumptions is discussed.

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.

Editorial: Mechanics of soft materials, structures and systems

The concept of soft matter was first introduced by P. G. de Gennes in his acceptance speech for the No-bel Physics Prize in 1991. In mechanics community, however, people usually prefer using soft material in-stead of soft matter to describe the material whose en-ergy associated with thermal motion is comparative to the interaction energy. Unlike in the conventional con-densed matter, entropy plays an important and even de-terminative role in soft materials.

Editorial: Computational mechanics of granular materials

Most of granular materials are highly heteroge- neous, composed of voids and particles with different sizes and shapes. Geological matter, soil and clay in nature, geo-structure, concrete, etc. are practical ex- amples among them. From the microscopic view, a lo- cal region in the medium is occupied by particles with small but finite sizes and granular material is naturally modeled as an assembly of discrete particles in contacts On the other hand, the local region is identified with a material point in the overall structure and this discon- tinuous medium can then be represented by an effective continuum on the macroscopic level

Editorial:Mechanics of intelligent materials and structures

Recently, intelligent or smart materials and structures have been received more and more attention due to their distinguished multi-field coupling properties and wide applications in aerospace, automobiles, civil structures, medical devices, information storage, energy harvesting and so on. It is of academic challenge to fully understand the complex multi-field coupling behaviors of various smart materials and structures, and of engineering sig- nificance to enhance the performance and reliability of these materials and structures in industrial applications. The papers in the special topic of Mechanics of Intelligent Materials and Structures focus on the understanding of the electromechanical, magneto-elastic, and magneto-rheological coupling behav- iors and properties of smart materials and structures for applications in vibration control, resonators, and various functional devices.

Effect of tool geometry on ultraprecision machining of soft-brittle materials:a comprehensive review

Brittle materials are widely used for producing important components in the industry of optics,optoelectronics,and semiconductors.Ultraprecision machining of brittle materials with high surface quality and surface integrity helps improve the functional performance and lifespan of the components.According to their hardness,brittle materials can be roughly divided into hard-brittle and soft-brittle.Although there have been some literature reviews for ultraprecision machining of hard-brittle materials,up to date,very few review papers are available that focus on the processing of soft-brittle materials.Due to the‘soft’and‘brittle’properties,this group of materials has unique machining characteristics.This paper presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances in ultraprecision machining of soft-brittle materials.Critical aspects of machining mechanisms,such as chip formation,surface topography,and subsurface damage for different machining methods,including diamond turning,micro end milling,ultraprecision grinding,and micro/nano burnishing,are compared in terms of tool-workpiece interaction.The effects of tool geometries on the machining characteristics of soft-brittle materials are systematically analyzed,and dominating factors are sorted out.Problems and challenges in the engineering applications are identified,and solutions/guidelines for future R&D are provided.

Study of the material removal mechanism of glass-ceramics based on consecutive incremental loading in ductile-regime grinding

Glass-ceramics have many excellent properties and are widely used in various fields. During the grinding process,the workpiece surface is typically subject to material removal by grit of incremental heights, which has rarely been the focus of research. As such, it is necessary to study the material removal mechanism of glass-ceramics under consecutive incremental loading, which more closely reflects the actual grinding process. In this paper,to analyze the plastic deformation and residual stress of lithium aluminosilicate(LAS) glass-ceramics, a finite element model is established based on the Drucker–Prager yield criterion for ductile regimes. A nano-scratch test was also conducted and the test results show that both the residual depth and residual stress increase with an increase in the number of increments, and that consecutive incremental loading promotes the plastic deformation of glass-ceramics and increases the residual stress of the material in the ductile-regime process. These findings provide guidance for achieving higher dimensional accuracy in the actual grinding of glass-ceramics parts.

Molecular dynamics simulation of the material removal in the scratching of 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC substrates

Single crystal silicon carbide(SiC)is widely used for optoelectronics applications.Due to the anisotropic characteristics of single crystal materials,the C face and Si face of single crystal SiC have different physical properties,which may fit for particular application purposes.This paper presents an investigation of the material removal and associated subsurface defects in a set of scratching tests on the C face and Si face of 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC materials using molecular dynamics simulations.The investigation reveals that the sample material deformation consists of plastic,amorphous transformations and dislocation slips that may be prone to brittle split.The results showed that the material removal at the C face is more effective with less amorphous deformation than that at the Si face.Such a phenomenon in scratching relates to the dislocations on the basal plane(0001)of the SiC crystal.Subsurface defects were reduced by applying scratching cut depths equal to integer multiples of a half molecular lattice thickness,which formed a foundation for selecting machining control parameters for the best surface quality.

An experimental study on fracture mechanical behavior of rock-like materials containing two unparallel fissures under uniaxial compression

Strength and deformability characteristics of rock with pre-existing fissures are governed by cracking behavior. To further research the effects of pre-existing fissures on the mechanical properties and crack coalescence process, a series of uniaxial compression tests were carried out for rock-like material with two unparallel fissures.In the present study, cement, quartz sand, and water were used to fabricate a kind of brittle rock-like material cylindrical model specimen. The mechanical properties of rock-like material specimen used in this research were all in good agreement with the brittle rock materials. Two unparallel fissures（a horizontal fissure and an inclined fissure） were created by inserting steel during molding the model specimen.Then all the pre-fissured rock-like specimens were tested under uniaxial compression by a rock mechanics servocontrolled testing system. The peak strength and Young＇s modulus of pre-fissured specimen all first decreased and then increased when the fissure angle increased from 0？to 75？.In order to investigate the crack initiation, propagation and coalescence process, photographic monitoring was adopted to capture images during the entire deformation process.Moreover, acoustic emission（AE） monitoring technique was also used to obtain the AE evolution characteristic of prefissured specimen. The relationship between axial stress, AE events, and the crack coalescence process was set up： when a new crack was initiated or a crack coalescence occurred, thecorresponding axial stress dropped in the axial stress–time curve and a big AE event could be observed simultaneously.Finally, the mechanism of crack propagation under microscopic observation was discussed. These experimental results are expected to increase the understanding of the strength failure behavior and the cracking mechanism of rock containing unparallel fissures.

Plasma-enabled electrochemical jet micromachining of chemically inert and passivating material

Electrochemical jet machining(EJM)encounters significant challenges in the microstructuring of chemically inert and passivating materials because an oxide layer is easily formed on the material surface,preventing the progress of electrochemical dissolution.This research demonstrates for the first time a jet-electrolytic plasma micromachining(Jet-EPM)method to overcome this problem.Specifically,an electrolytic plasma is intentionally induced at the jet-material contact area by applying a potential high enough to surmount the surface boundary layer(such as a passive film or gas bubble)and enable material removal.Compared to traditional EJM,introducing plasma in the electrochemical jet system leads to considerable differences in machining performance due to the inclusion of plasma reactions.In this work,the implementation of Jet-EPM for fabricating microstructures in the semiconductor material 4H-SiC is demonstrated,and the machining principle and characteristics of Jet-EPM,including critical parameters and process windows,are comprehensively investigated.Theoretical modeling and experiments have elucidated the mechanisms of plasma ignition/evolution and the corresponding material removal,showing the strong potential of Jet-EPM for micromachining chemically resistant materials.The present study considerably augments the range of materials available for processing by the electrochemical jet technique.

A Simple Way to Prepare Silicon Carbide Reinforced Graphite Composite Lubricating Materials

SiC reinforced graphite composites were prepared via introducing carbide silicon into the natural graphite flakes（NGF） by hot-pressing process. Their physical and mechanical properties, including density, open porosity, flexural strength, and friction behavior were investigated. The addition of 30vol% Si C increased the bending strength of composites materials to 127 MPa, 2 times higher than 60 MPa of commercial pure graphite block. What was particularly interesting was that the as-obtained graphite composite with 30vol% Si C kept the same low friction coefficient of about 0.1 as pure graphite, and the wear resistance of composites increased.

Editorial: Special subject on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures

The thermal protection materials and structures are widely used in hypersonic vehicles for the purpose of thermal insulation, and their mechanical behavior is one of the key issues in design and manufacture of hypersonic vehicles. It is our great pleasure to present the seven papers in this special subject of Theoretical ＆ Applied Mechanics Letters （TAML） and introduce the recent progresses on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures by the authors.

Acoustic Response and Micro-Damage Mechanism of Fiber Composite Materials under Mode-Ⅱ Delamination

Realizing the accurate characterization for the dynamic damage process is a great challenge. Here we carry out testing simultaneously for dynamic monitoring and acoustic emission （AE） statistical analysis towards fiber composites under mode-Ⅱ delamination damage. The load curve, AE relative energy, amplitude distribution, and amplitude spectrum are obtained and the delamination damage mechanism of the composites is investigated by the microscopic observation of a fractured specimen. The results show that the micro-damage accumulation around the crack tip region has a great effect on the evolutionary process of delamination. AE characteristics and amplitude spectrum represent the damage and the physical mechanism originating from the hierarchical microstructure. Our finding provides a novel aud feasible strategy to simultaneously evaluate the dynamic response and micro-damage mechanism for fiber composites.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of ZrO_2-Ni Functionally Gradient Material

The fabrication. microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrO2-Ni functionally gradient materials (FGM ) have been studied. FGM as well as non-FG M of ZrO2-Ni system was developed by powder metallurgical process. X-ray diffractometer (XRD ). electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), scanning electron microscope (SEM ) and optical microscope were employed to investigate the crystalline phases. chemical composition and microstructure Experimental results demonstrate that the composition and microstructure of ZrO2-Ni FGM have the expected gradient distribution. There are no distinct interfaces in the FGM due to the gradient change of components. that is, the constituents are continuous in microstructure everywhere. Moreover, Vickers hardness and flexural strength were measured for the common composites as a function of composition. It is made clear that the mechanical properties of the FGM vary corresponding to the constitutional changes as well

Heat transport in low-dimensional materials: A review and perspective

Heat transport is a key energetic process in materials and devices. The reduced sample size, low dimension of the problem and the rich spectrum of material imperfections introduce fruitful phenomena at nanoscale. In this review, we summarize recent progresses in the understanding of heat transport process in low-dimensional materials, with focus on the roles of defects, disorder, interfaces, and the quantum- mechanical effect. New physics uncovered from computational simulations, experimental studies, and predictable models will be reviewed, followed by a perspective on open challenges.

High Efficiency Axial Deep Creep-Feed Grinding Machining Technology of Engineering Ceramics Materials

Axial deep creep-feed grinding machining technology is a high efficiency process method of engineering ceramics materials, which is an original method to process the cylindrical ceramics materials or hole along its axis. The analysis of axial force and edge fracture proved the cutting thickness and feed rate could be more than 5-10 mm and 200 mm/min respectively in once process, and realized high efficiency, low-cost process of engineering ceramics materials. Compared with high speed-deep grinding machining, this method is also a high efficiency machining technology of engineering ceramics materials as well as with low cost. In addition, removal mechanism analyses showed that both median/radial cracks and lateral cracks appeared in the part to be removed, and the processed part is seldom destroyed, only by adjusting the axial force to control the length of transverse cracks.

In-situ Fabricated TiB_2 Particle-whisker Synergistically Toughened Ti(C,N)-based Ceramic Cutting Tool Material

The mechanical properties of ceramic cutting tool materials can be modified by introducing proper content of nanoparticles or whiskers.However,the process of adding whiskers or nanoparticles has the disadvantages of high cost and health hazard as well as the agglomeration;although a new in-situ two-step sintering process can solve the above problems to some extent,yet the problems of low conversion ratio of the raw materials and the abnormal grain growth exist in this process.In this paper,an in-situ one-step synthesis technology is proposed,which means the growth of whiskers or nanoparticles and the sintering of the compact can be accomplished by one time in furnace.A kind of Ti（C,N）-based ceramic cutting tool material synergistically toughened by TiB_2 particles and whiskers is fabricated with this new process.The phase compositions,relationships between microstructure and mechanical properties as well as the toughening mechanisms are analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction（XRD）and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）.The composite which is sintered under a pressure of 32 MPa at a temperature of 1700℃in vacuum holding for 60 min can get the optimal mechanical properties.Its flexural strength,fracture toughness and Vickers hardness are 540 MPa,7.81 MPa·m（1/2）and 20.42 GPa,respectively.The composite has relatively high density,and the in-situ synthesized TiB_2 whiskers have good surface integrity,which is beneficial for the improvement of the fracture toughness.It is concluded that the main toughening mechanisms of the present composite are whiskers pulling-out and crack deflection induced by whiskers,crack bridging by whiskers/particles and multi-scale particles synergistically toughening.This study proposes an in-situ one-step synthesis technology which can be well used for fabricating particles and whiskers synergistically toughened ceramic tool materials.