Averaging anisotropic elastic constant data

Abstract

A method of averaging the data on the anisotropic elastic constants of a material is presented. The anisotropic elastic constants are represented by the elasticity tensor which is expressed as a second rank tensor in a space of six dimensions. The method consists of averaging eigenbases of different measurements of the elasticity tensor, then averaging the eigenvalues referred to the average eigenbasis. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors are obtained by using a representation of the stress-strain relations due, in principle, to Kelvin [17, 18]. The formulas for the representation of the averaged elasticity tensor are simple and concise. The applications of these formulas are illustrated using previously reported data, and are contrasted with the traditional analysis of the same data by Hearmon [9]. An interesting result that emerges from this analysis is a method dealing with variable composition anisotropic elastic materials whose elastic constants depend upon the particular composition. In the case of porous isotropic materials, for example, it is customary to regress the Young's modulus against porosity. The results of this paper suggest a structure or paradigm for extending to anisotropic materials this empirical method of regressing elastic constant data against composition or porosity.