Research on application of plastic materials in cars

This paper gives analysis of application status and prospect of plastic materials from the aspects of applied material amount comparison,development of new materials & new technologies,lightweight,design conception of new components,recyclability,simplification and diversity of materials,standardization of material specification and presents corresponding conclusions and suggestions.

Simulation of bulk metal forming processes using one-step finite element approach based on deformation theory of plasticity

The bulk metal forming processes were simulated by using a one-step finite element(FE)approach based on deformation theory of plasticity,which enables rapid prediction of final workpiece configurations and stress/strain distributions.This approach was implemented to minimize the approximated plastic potential energy derived from the total plastic work and the equivalent external work in static equilibrium,for incompressibly rigid-plastic materials,by FE calculation based on the extremum work principle.The one-step forward simulations of compression and rolling processes were presented as examples,and the results were compared with those obtained by classical incremental FE simulation to verify the feasibility and validity of the proposed method.

Modelling of Non-coaxial Viscoplastic Deformation in Geodynamics

The formation of shear bands for time and length scales appropriate for deformation processes in the upper Lithosphere is investigated in plane strain finite element simulations under predominantly uniaxial extension and compression, respectively. The direction of gravity is assumed orthogonal to the extension/compression axis. Mathematically, the formation of shear zones may be explained as a consequence of changes in the type of the governing model equations. Such changes or bifurcations depend strongly on the details of the constitutive relationships such as strain softening, thermal or chemical effects, associated or non-associated--coaxial or non-coaxial flow rules. Here we focus on strain softening and coaxial and non-coaxial flow rules. In the simulations, we consider an initially rectangular domain with the dimensions Lo, Ho in the horizontal, vertical directions, respectively. The domain is extended or compressed by prescribing a uniform, horizontal velocity field along one of the vertical boundaries while keeping the opposite boundary fixed. An important global descriptor of the deformation process is the relationship between the horizontal stress resultant （average horizontal stress） and the strain ln（L/Lo）, where L is the deformed length of the domain. The main goal of this paper is to investigate key factors influencing the phenomenology of the localization process such as flow rule, coaxial, non-coaxial and strain softening. Different origins of the mesh sensitivity of deformations involving localization are also investigated.

Elastic-plastic analysis of antiplane crack near crack surface region

The elastic-plastic stress distribution and the elastic-plastic boundary con- figuration near a crack surface region are significant but hard to obtain by means of the conventional analysis. A crack line analysis method is developed in this paper by consid- ering the crack surface as an extension of the crack line. The stresses in the plastic zone, the length, and the unit normal vector of the elastic-plastic boundary near a crack surface region are obtained for an antiplane crack in an elastic-perfectly plastic solid. The usual small scale yielding assumptions are not needed in the analysis.

General forms of elastic-plastic matching equations for mode-Ⅲ cracks near crack line

Crack line analysis is an effective way to solve elastic-plastic crack problems. Application of the method does not need the traditional small-scale yielding conditions and can obtain sufficiently accurate solutions near the crack line. To address mode- Ⅲ crack problems under the perfect elastic-plastic condition, matching procedures of the crack line analysis method axe summarized and refined to give general forms and formulation steps of plastic field, elastic-plastic boundary, and elastic-plastic matching equations near the crack line. The research unifies mode-III crack problems under different conditions into a problem of determining four integral constants with four matching equations. An example is given to verify correctness, conciseness, and generality of the procedure.

Elasto-plastic analysis of masonry with anisotropic plastic material model

This paper establishes an anisotropic plastic material model to analyze the elasto-plastic behavior of masonry in plane stress state.Being an anisotropic material,masonry has different constitutive relation and fracture energies along each orthotropic axes.Considering the unique material properties of masonry,a new yield criterion for masonry is proposed combining the Hill's yield criterion and the Rankine's yield criterion.The new yield criterion not only introduces compression friction coefficient of shear but also considers yield functions for independent stress state along two material axes of tension.To solve the involved nonlinear equations in numerical analysis,several nonlinear methods are implemented,including Newton-Raphson method for nonlinear equations and Implicit Euler backward mapping algorithm to update stresses.To verify the proposed material model of masonry,a series of tests are operated.The simulation results show that the new developed material model implements successfully.Compared with isotropic material model,the proposed model performs better in elasto-plastic analysis of masonry in plane stress state.The proposed anisotropic model is capable of simulating elasto-plastic behavior of masonry and can be used in related applications.

Association between Phthalate Exposure and the Use of Plastic Containers in Shanghai Adults

Objective Consuming phthalates may be due to the presence of food contact materials, such as plastic containers. In this study, we investigated the association between plastic container use and phthalate exposure in 2,140 Shanghai adults. Methods Participants completed a questionnaire on the frequency of using plastic containers in different scenarios in the previous year （e.g., daily, weekly） and on the consumption of plastic-packaged foods in the previous three days （yes or no）. Urinary phthalate metabolites were used to assess the association between phthalate exposure and the use of plastic containers. Results The metabolites of di-（2-ethylhexyl） phthalate （DEHP） were the most frequently detected in urine. The results revealed that phthalate exposure was associated with consumption of plastic-packaged breakfast or processed food items in the previous three days. The consumption of these two food items had strong synergistic effects on increasing urinary concentrations of most phthalate metabolites. Conclusion Our results of plastic-packaged breakfast and processed food may be explained by the use of flexible plastic containers, indicating the importance of risk assessment for the application of flexible plastic containers.

NEAR-TIP FIELDS FOR A CRACK GROWING ALONG AN ELASTIC PERFECTLY PLASTIC INTERFACE

The stress and deformation fields near the tip of an anti-plane crack growing quasi-statically along an interface of elastic perfectly plastic materials are given in this paper. A family of solutions for the growing crack fields is found covering all admissible crack line shear stress ratios.

AN INVESTIGATION ON ASYMPTOTIC NEAR-TIP FIELDS OF DYNAMIC CRACK IN AN ELASTIC-PERFECTLY PLASTIC COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL

The stress and deformation fields near the tip of a mode-I dynamic crack steadily propagating in an elastic-perfectly plastic compressible material are considered under plane strain conditions. Within the framework of infinitesimal displacement gradient theory, the material is characterized by the Von Mises yield criterion and the associated J(2) flow theory of plasticity. Through rigorous mathematical analysis, this paper eliminates the possibilities of elastic unloading and continuous asymptotic fields with singular deformation, and then constructs a fully continuous and bounded asymptotic stress and strain field. It is found that in this solution there exists a parameter phi(0) which cannot be determined by asymptotic analysis but may characterize the effect of the far field. Lastly the variations of continuous stresses, velocities and strains around the crack tip are given numerically for different values of phi(0).

THE IMPACT TORSIONAL BUCKLING FOR THE RIGID PLASTIC CYLINDRICAL SHELL

By using the energy criterion in [3], the impact torsional buckling for the rigid plastic cylindrical shell is studied. The linear dynamic torsional buckling equations for the rigid plastic shell is drived, and the critical impact velocity is given.

Investigations of a nanostructured FeMnSi shape memory alloy produced via severe plastic deformation

Low-cost iron-based shape memory alloys（SMAs） show great potential for engineering applications. The developments of new processing techniques have recently enabled the production of nanocrystalline materials with improved properties. These developments have opened avenues for newer applications for SMAs. The influence of severe plastic deformation induced by the high-speed high-pressure torsion（HSHPT） process on the microstructural evolution of an Fe–Mn–Si–Cr alloy was investigated. Transmission electron microscopic analysis of the alloy revealed the existence of nanoscale grains with an abundance of stacking faults. The high density of dislocations characteristic of severe plastic deformation was not observed in this alloy. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the presence of ε-martensite with an HCP crystal structure and γ-phase with an FCC structure.

Numerical simulation for the comparison of thermal and plastic material flow behavior between symmetrical and asymmetrical boundary conditions during friction stir welding

An accurate description of the contact condition between the tool and the workpiece material is one of the most important issues for expounding the underlying multi-physics coupled mechanism during friction stir welding(FSW)process.In the present study,a novel asymmetrical boundary condition around the tool-workpiece contact interface is proposed for the FSW of AA2024-T4 alloy.A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model is employed for the comparison of the coupled thermal and plastic material flow behavior between asymmetrical and symmetrical boundary conditions.Numerical results of heat generation,temperature distribution,tunnel defect formation and material flow streamline during the welding process are quantitatively analyzed.Besides,various experimental measuring methods are utilized to obtain information about temperature,thermal cycle,tool torque and horizontal cross-section around the exiting keyhole.It is revealed that the modeling results of heat flux density and temperature distribution around the pin,as well as material flow characteristics all change significantly for the two models with different boundary conditions.Particularly,the asymmetrical boundary condition is more capable of predicting temperature fluctuation,plastic material flow along the vertical direction,as well as tunnel defect formation during FSW.Therefore,the superiority of the model with asymmetrical boundary condition over the symmetrical one during the numerical simulation of FSW is elucidated.

Wear and Contact Temperature on Steel Surface in Linear Dry Friction Contact with Polimers with SGF

In this paper, we tried to present a qualitative correlation, based on extensive experimental trials between the value and the evolution of the friction coefficient, wear and contact temperature in the case of linear dry contact, thermoplastic material reinforced with SGF （short glass fibres） and various steel surfaces. We tried, believing successfully, the graphic illustration of the evolution of the steel surface wear and of the contact temperature, depending on the friction coefficient. It was analyzed in detail the influence of the normal load and sliding speed, but also of the metallic surface roughness on the friction coefficient.

BLUNT CRACK-TIP ELASTOPLASTIC ZONE OF MIXED MODE FRACTURE

This article discusses the characterization of fracture process zone at the tip of a blunt crack in elastoplastic materials under mixed mode loading. The analysis includes the description of elastoplastic zone geometry around the blunt crack tip for predicting crack growth direction. The deformed zone appearing at the crack front is described by presenting a criterion based on the subloading surface concept falling within the framework of unconventional plasticity. The mixed mode crack propagates along the minimum value of the elastoplastic region. The present solutions are reduced to those previously reported in literature, when the elastic perfectly plastic material is considered.

Direct joining of oxygen-free copper and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic by friction lap joining

Oxygen-flee copper （Cu） was successfully joined to carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic （CFRTP, polyamide 6 with 20wt% carbon fiber addition） by friction lap joining （FLJ） at joining speeds of 200-1600 mm/min with a constant rotation rate of 1500 rpm and a nominal plunge depth of 0.9 ram. It is the first time to report the joining of CFRTP to Cu by FLJ. As the joining speed increased, the tensile shear force （TSF） of joints increased first, and decreased thereafter. The maximum TSF could reach 2.3 kN （ 15 mm in width）. Hydrogen bonding formed between the amide group of CFRTP and the thin Cu20 layer on the Cu surface, which mainly contributed to the joint bonding. The influence factors of the TSF of the joints at different joining speeds were discussed. The TSF was mainly affected by the joining area, the degradation of the plastic matrix and the number and the size of bubbles. As the joining speed increased, the influence factors varied as follows： the joining area increased first and then decreased; the degra- dation of the plastic matrix and the number and the size of bubbles decreased. The maximum TSF was the comprehensive result of the relatively large joining area, small degradation of the plastic matrix and small number and sizes of bubbles.

Popcorning-type cracking failure in thermohyperelastic packaging materials in the presence of “wet” and “dry” cavities

Thermal cracking occurs in the plastic packaging materials due to the presence of moisturized micro-cavities in the material.The moisture resident in the micro-cavities gives rise to the internal vapor pressure that drives the thermal expansion of micro-cavities as temperature rises.The plastic packaging materials are considered a class of thermo-hyperelastic materials,thus allowing the micro-cavities to thermally expand to the substantial extent before the cracking failure.The micro-cavities can be moisture-abundant(i.e.,wet) or substantially dry when cracking occurs.Cracking appears to be almost certain in the presence of wet cavities.The possibility of cracking in dry cavities turns to be two-sided:when the initial volume fraction of the micro-cavities is relatively small,cracking cannot occur in the dry cavities regardless of the phase transition temperature;when the initial cavity volume fraction is relatively large,cracking tends to occur in the dry cavities especially when the phase transition temperature is large.Because of the two-sided cracking possibility,the dry-cavity cracking mode presents a scenario that might reveal the mechanism of popcorning-type cracking failure in plastic packaging materials.

A qualitative correlation between friction coefficient and steel surface wear in linear dry sliding contact to polymers with SGF

In this paper we tried to present a qualitative correlation,based on extensive experimental determinations between the value and the evolution of the friction coefficient,wear,and contact temperature,in the case of linear dry contact,for thermoplastic material reinforced with short glass fibers(SGF)and various steel surfaces.The aim was to highlight the evolution of the wear process depending on the evolution of the friction coefficient.As a result,it was possible to graphically illustrate the evolution of the friction coefficient and the change of the wear process,emphasizing the abrasive,adhesive and corrosive wear.The evolution of the plastic material transfer function of the contact temperature,namely of the power lost by friction(product between the contact pressure and sliding speed,p and v)was aimed and it was highlighted.It has been demonstrated that in the case of a 30%SGF content it can reach and even exceed contact temperatures very close to the flow limit of the plastic material.We tried,believing successfully,the graphic illustration of the evolution of the steel surface wear and of the contact temperature,depending on the friction coefficient.The influence of the normal load and sliding speed was evaluated in detail,but also the influence of the metallic surface roughness on the friction coefficient was discussed.

Improvement potential of today＇s WEEE recycling performance： The case of LCD TVs in Belgium

Waste of electrical and electronic equipment （WEEE） constitutes one of the most relevant waste streams because of the quantity and presence of valuable materials. However, there is limited knowledge on the resource potential of urban mining WEEE, as data on material composition, and the efficiency of current recycling treatments are still scarce. In this article, an evaluationof the recycling performance at a national level for one of the fastest growing e-waste streams： LCD TVs is carried out through the following four steps. Firstly, material characterisation is performed by means of sampling of the waste stream. Secondly, a material flow analysis is conducted by evaluating the separation performance of a recycling plant in Belgium..Thirdly, the recovered economic value and avoided environmental impact （EI） of the analysed recycling system is assessed. Finally, the potential of urban mining for Belgium is forecasted. The analysis shows that while recycling performance for ferrous metals and aluminium are relatively high; there is substantial room to better close the material loops for precious metals （PM） and plastics. PMs and plastics account for 66 % of the economic value in LCD TVs and 57% of the El. With the current, commonly applied recycling technology only one-third of the PM and housing plastics are recycled; meaning that for＇these material＇s, at a national level for Belgium, there is a potential for improvement that represents 3.3 million euros in 2016 and 6.8 million euros in 2025.