140 research outputs found
Modeling damage and fracture within strain-gradient plasticity
In this work, the influence of the plastic size effect on the fracture
process of metallic materials is numerically analyzed using the strain-gradient
plasticity (SGP) theory established from the Taylor dislocation model. Since
large deformations generally occur in the vicinity of a crack, the numerical
framework of the chosen SGP theory is developed for allowing large strains and
rotations. The material model is implemented in a commercial finite element
(FE) code by a user subroutine, and crack-tip fields are evaluated thoroughly
for both infinitesimal and finite deformation theories by a boundary-layer
formulation. An extensive parametric study is conducted and differences in the
stress distributions ahead of the crack tip, as compared with conventional
plasticity, are quantified. As a consequence of the strain-gradient
contribution to the work hardening of the material, FE results show a
significant increase in the magnitude and the extent of the differences between
the stress fields of SGP and conventional plasticity theories when finite
strains are considered. Since the distance from the crack tip at which the
strain gradient significantly alters the stress field could be one order of
magnitude higher when large strains are considered, results reveal that the
plastic size effect could have important implications in the modelization of
several damage mechanisms where its influence has not yet been considered in
the literature
An electro-chemo-mechanical framework for predicting hydrogen uptake in metals due to aqueous electrolytes
We present a theoretical and numerical scheme that enables quantifying
hydrogen ingress in metals for arbitrary environments and defect geometries.
This is achieved by explicitly resolving the electrochemical behaviour of the
electrolyte, the hydrogen and corrosion reactions, the kinetics of surface
adsorption, and hydrogen uptake, diffusion and trapping in
mechanically-deforming solids. This new framework is used to produce maps that
relate the absorbed hydrogen with the applied potential, specimen geometry and
fluid velocity. We also present simplified versions of our generalised model,
and benchmark predictions of these and other existing models against the
generalised electro-chemo-mechanical results, establishing regimes of validity
Phase field predictions of microscopic fracture and R-curve behaviour of fibre-reinforced composites
We present a computational framework to explore the effect of microstructure
and constituent properties upon the fracture toughness of fibre-reinforced
polymer composites. To capture microscopic matrix cracking and fibre-matrix
debonding, the framework couples the phase field fracture method and a cohesive
zone model in the context of the finite element method. Virtual single-notched
three point bending tests are conducted. The actual microstructure of the
composite is simulated by an embedded cell in the fracture process zone, while
the remaining area is homogenised to be an anisotropic elastic solid. A
detailed comparison of the predicted results with experimental observations
reveals that it is possible to accurately capture the crack path, interface
debonding and load versus displacement response. The sensitivity of the crack
growth resistance curve (R-curve) to the matrix fracture toughness and the
fibre-matrix interface properties is determined. The influence of porosity upon
the R-curve of fibre-reinforced composites is also explored, revealing a
stabler response with increasing void volume fraction. These results shed light
into microscopic fracture mechanisms and set the basis for efficient design of
high fracture toughness composites
An electro-chemo-mechanical framework for predicting hydrogen uptake in metals due to aqueous electrolytes
We present a theoretical and numerical scheme that enables quantifying hydrogen ingress in metals for arbitrary environments and defect geometries. This is achieved by explicitly resolving the electrochemical behaviour of the electrolyte, the hydrogen and corrosion reactions, the kinetics of surface adsorption, and hydrogen uptake, diffusion and trapping in mechanically-deforming solids. This new framework is used to produce maps that relate the absorbed hydrogen with the applied potential, specimen geometry and fluid velocity. We also present simplified versions of our generalised model, and benchmark predictions of these and other existing models against the generalised electro-chemo-mechanical results, establishing regimes of validity
Phase field modelling of fracture and fatigue in Shape Memory Alloys
We present a new phase field framework for modelling fracture and fatigue in
Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs). The constitutive model captures the superelastic
behaviour of SMAs and damage is driven by the elastic and transformation strain
energy densities. We consider both the assumption of a constant fracture energy
and the case of a fracture energy dependent on the martensitic volume fraction.
The framework is implemented in an implicit time integration scheme, with both
monolithic and staggered solution strategies. The potential of this formulation
is showcased by modelling a number of paradigmatic problems. First, a boundary
layer model is used to examine crack tip fields and compute crack growth
resistance curves (R-curves). We show that the model is able to capture the
main fracture features associated with SMAs, including the toughening effect
associated with stress-induced phase transformation. Insight is gained into the
role of temperature, material strength, crack density function and fracture
energy homogenisation. Secondly, several 2D and 3D boundary value problems are
addressed, demonstrating the capabilities of the model in capturing complex
cracking phenomena in SMAs, such as unstable crack growth, mixed-mode fracture
or the interaction between several cracks. Finally, the model is extended to
fatigue and used to capture crack nucleation and propagation in biomedical
stents, a paradigmatic application of nitinol SMAs
Crack growth resistance in metallic alloys: The role of isotropic versus kinematic hardening
The sensitivity of crack growth resistance to the choice of isotropic or
kinematic hardening is investigated. Monotonic mode I crack advance under small
scale yielding conditions is modelled via a cohesive zone formulation endowed
with a traction-separation law. R-curves are computed for materials that
exhibit linear or power law hardening. Kinematic hardening leads to an enhanced
crack growth resistance relative to isotropic hardening. Moreover, kinematic
hardening requires greater crack extension to achieve the steady state. These
differences are traced to the non-proportional loading of material elements
near the crack tip as the crack advances. The sensitivity of the R-curve to the
cohesive zone properties and to the level of material strain hardening is
explored for both isotropic and kinematic hardening
Mode I crack tip fields: Strain gradient plasticity theory versus J2 flow theory
The mode I crack tip asymptotic response of a solid characterised by strain
gradient plasticity is investigated. It is found that elastic strains dominate
plastic strains near the crack tip, and thus the Cauchy stress and the strain
state are given asymptotically by the elastic K-field. This crack tip elastic
zone is embedded within an annular elasto-plastic zone. This feature is
predicted by both a crack tip asymptotic analysis and a finite element
computation. When small scale yielding applies, three distinct regimes exist:
an outer elastic K field, an intermediate elasto-plastic field, and an inner
elastic K field. The inner elastic core significantly influences the crack
opening profile. Crack tip plasticity is suppressed when the material length
scale of the gradient theory is on the order of the plastic zone size
estimation, as dictated by the remote stress intensity factor. A generalized
J-integral for strain gradient plasticity is stated and used to characterise
the asymptotic response ahead of a short crack. Finite element analysis of a
cracked three point bend specimen reveals that the crack tip elastic zone
persists in the presence of bulk plasticity and an outer J-field
Fracture in distortion gradient plasticity
In this work, distortion gradient plasticity is used to gain insight into
material deformation ahead of a crack tip. This also constitutes the first
fracture mechanics analysis of gradient plasticity theories adopting Nye's
tensor as primal kinematic variable. First, the asymptotic nature of crack tip
fields is analytically investigated. We show that an inner elastic region
exists, adjacent to the crack tip, where elastic strains dominate plastic
strains and Cauchy stresses follow the linear elastic stress singularity. This
finding is verified by detailed finite element analyses using a new numerical
framework, which builds upon a viscoplastic constitutive law that enables
capturing both rate-dependent and rate-independent behaviour in a
computationally efficient manner. Numerical analysis is used to gain further
insight into the stress elevation predicted by distortion gradient plasticity,
relative to conventional J2 plasticity, and the influence of the plastic spin
under both mode I and mixed-mode fracture conditions. It is found that Nye's tensor contributions have a weaker effect in elevating the stresses in the plastic region, while predicting the same asymptotic behaviour as constitutive choices based on the plastic strain gradient tensor. A minor sensitivity to X, the parameter governing the dissipation due to the plastic spin, is observed. Finally, distortion gradient plasticity and suitable higher order boundary conditions are used to appropriately model the phenomenon of brittle failure along elastic-plastic material interfaces. We reproduce paradigmatic experiments on niobium-sapphire interfaces and show that the combination of strain gradient hardening and dislocation blockage leads to interface crack tip stresses that are larger than the theoretical lattice strength, rationalising cleavage in the presence of plasticity at bi-material interfaces
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