Plastic Deformation Characteristics Research Articles

A rational multiscale nonlinear constitutive model for freeze–thaw rocks under triaxial compression

The stability and durability of rocks in cold regions are significantly impacted by the degradation of mechanical properties caused by freeze–thaw (F–T) environment. In this work, we shall propose a rational multiscale nonlinear constitutive model based on thermodynamics, micromechanics, and fractional calculus theory to describe the complete deformation and failure process of F–T rocks under triaxial compression. The F–T rocks at the mesoscale are regarded as consisting of porous matrix and cracks, while porous matrix is composed of the micropores and elastic solid grains at the microscale. According to experimental observations, we assume the F–T action mainly causes micropores growth and cracks opening, and mechanical damage is resulted from the initiation and propagation of cracks. In this context, the effects of F–T and mechanical damage on effective elastic properties of rocks can be quantitatively analyzed by using the two-step Mori–Tanaka (M-T) homogenization method. After subtly deriving the total free energy function of F–T rocks under compression, we systematically develop specific criteria for describing open cracks closure deformation, mechanical damage evolution and frictional sliding induced plastic distortion. Note that to correctly capture the plastic deformation characteristics, the non-orthogonal flow rule based on fractional differential calculations is employed. Following that, analytical analyses and numerical implementation of the proposed model are conducted. The performance of the model is evaluated by the simulations with experimental data on two kinds of F–T rocks, and discussions on parameters sensitivity and effects of fractional order are followed.

A Study on Yield Criteria Influence on Anisotropic Behavior and Fracture Prediction in Deep Drawing SECC Steel Cylindrical Cups.

The deep drawing process, a pivotal technique in sheet metal forming, frequently encounters challenges such as anisotropy-induced defects. This study comprehensively investigates the influence of various yield criteria on the anisotropic behavior and fracture prediction in SECC steel cylindrical cups. It integrates Hill'48R, Hill'48S, and von Mises yield criteria in conjunction with Swift's hardening law to evaluate material behavior under complex stress states. Experimental and numerical simulations assess the anisotropy effects across multiple orientations (0°, 45°, and 90°), revealing intricate relationships between stress criteria and material response. The findings indicate significant discrepancies between isotropic and anisotropic models in predicting fracture heights, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate yield criteria. Notably, the von Mises criterion results in lower fracture heights, suggesting higher susceptibility to fractures, while the Hill'48R model aligns closely with experimental data, validated through variations in punch corner radius and blank holder force parameters, with a maximum deviation of 3.23%. Hill'48S displays moderate plastic deformation characteristics.

Analysis of the Influence of Contact Stress on the Fatigue of AD180 High-Carbon Semi-Steel Roll

In this study, to investigate the problem of contact fatigue and the damage mechanism of an AD180 high-carbon semi-steel roll, rolling contact fatigue tests were conducted using specimens cut from the periphery of a roll ring. These specimens were characterized under different contact stresses using SEM, a profile system, an optical microscope, and a Vickers hardness tester. The results indicates that the main forms of fatigue damage of an AD180 high-carbon semi-steel roll are peeling, pitting corrosion, and plowing. Moreover, the surface of the roll exhibits delamination and plastic deformation characteristics under high contact stress. Meanwhile, the size and depth of peeling, as well as the amount of pitting corrosion, increase with the contact stress. Peeling is mainly caused by a crack that originates at the edge of the specimen surface and propagates along the pearlite structure and the interface between pearlite and cementite. High contact stress can lead to an increase in the crack propagation depth and angle, resulting in the formation of larger peeling. Under cyclic loading, the near-surface microstructure of the specimen hardens due to grain refinement and dislocation strengthening, and the depth of the hardened layer increases with the increase in contact stress. When the contact stress reaches 1400 MPa, the near surface structure of the specimen changes from pearlite to troostite.

Repeated impact response of honeycomb sandwich panels based on the failure parameters of adhesive layer and material

Honeycomb sandwich structure has been widely used in lightweight and impact protection of rail vehicle structures due to its excellent mechanical properties. In this paper, the plastic deformation, failure response and energy absorption characteristics of honeycomb sandwich panels for rail vehicles under repeated impact loads were studied. The three-point bending tests and low-speed impact tests of honeycomb sandwich panels were carried out, and a three-dimensional numerical model considering the detailed structure of the honeycomb core and the failure of the adhesive layer was established. The model can reasonably simulate honeycomb sandwich panels’ stiffness, strength, and structural failure. The effects of impact times and impact angle on the performance indexes of the honeycomb sandwich panel were studied. The results show that when the impact energy is the same, the impact times will affect the energy absorption distribution of honeycomb sandwich panels. With the increase in impact times, the panel’s absorption energy decreases, the core’s absorption energy increases, and the total absorption energy decreases. For multiple impact conditions, with the increase of impact times, the single energy absorption of the upper panel and core decreases, and the single energy absorption of the lower panel increases. When the impact energy is the same, the rise in impact angle will increase the damage to the honeycomb sandwich panel, and the energy absorption of each part will increase. In addition, the influence of impact times on the energy absorption efficiency of honeycomb sandwich panels is related to the impact angle.

TiAl Alloy Fabricated Using Election Beam Selective Melting: Process, Microstructure, and Tensile Performance

TiAl alloy is one of the most attractive candidates for a new generation of high-temperature structural materials and has broad application prospects in the aerospace field. As a typical intermetallic material, TiAl is inevitably difficult to process using conventional methods. Election beam selective melting (EBSM) is an effective method of addictive manufacturing to prepare TiAl alloy with a complex structure. However, the microstructure of TiAl alloy formed using EBSM often contains defects such as pores, which seriously reduces the mechanical properties of the material. In this work, the effects of EBSM and post-processing procedures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy were studied. The results show that the microstructure of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy formed using the EBSM process was dense and composed of equiaxed γ-phase and double-phase regions. A large number of dislocations that formed due to thermal stress were clearly observed inside the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy. When the EBSM process parameters were 13.5 mA, 4.0 m/s, and 40.50 J/mm3, as the current intensity increased, the Al content decreased, the content of α2 phase increased, and the microstructure of the material was coarse. The results of the tensile test fracture morphology indicate that the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy exhibited brittle fracture during tensile deformation, lacking the typical yield deformation of metal materials. As the energy density of the EBSM process increased, the mechanical properties of the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy first increased and then decreased. The samples prepared with an energy density of 34.50~40.50 J/mm3 had excellent mechanical properties, of which the maximum tensile strength and maximum elongation reached 643 MPa and 2.09%, respectively. The phase composition of the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy after hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment remained unchanged from the EBSM samples, but there was a slight difference in content. There was an increase in the amount of γ phase and a decrease in B2 phase, accompanied by the generation of a massive γ phase after HIP treatment. Moreover, the number of dislocations inside the material increased. The Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy after HIP treatment exhibited obvious plastic deformation characteristics, with a tensile strength of 679 MPa and elongation of 2.5%. A heat treatment of 900 °C/5 h was performed on the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy after HIP. The dislocation density of the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb alloy decreased, and the B2 phase transformed from massive to lamellar.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of failure mechanism in Al2O3/SiC composite under plane shock waves

The investigation of fracture and fragmentation is essential for evaluating the protection performance and structural design of ceramic armour. This paper focused on the dynamic failure and fracture mechanisms of the fine-grained Al2O3/SiC composite subjected to plane shock waves. The macroscopic shock response characteristic was determined through a series of plane impact tests, which included the Hugoniot curves of the composite. The results indicated that the fracture mechanism is significantly influenced by specific stress characteristics. The transgranular fracture in large grains and intergranular fracture in small grains exhibit obvious local plastic deformation characteristics. Moreover, the presence of second-phase SiC particles markedly influences both crack propagation and the microfracture mode of the composite. Lastly, a statistical analysis of the ceramic fragments was conducted after the soft recovery of specimens in impact experiments, and analytical models were developed and modified to predict the distribution of fragments under plane shock loading.

Lateral compressive behavior of multi-layer lattice-web reinforced composite cylinders

Several novel multi-layer lattice-web reinforced composite cylinders, consisting of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) face sheets and lattice webs, polyurethane (PU) foam core and clay ceramsite filler, were proposed and manufactured using a vacuum assisted resin infusion process (VARIP) method. A series of quasi-static lateral compressive experiments were carried out to investigate the feasibility of the proposed cylinders. For both the hollow composite cylinders and ceramsite filling composite cylinders, the bearing capacity and energy absorption performance can be significantly improved with the use of multi-layer lattice-web layouts. Among the proposed three types of lattice-web layouts, the double-layer dislocated lattice-web layout made the composite cylinder exhibit the greatest specific energy absorption (SEA) performance and can be chosen as an optimal configuration. Furthermore, numerical models were established using LS-‍DYNA software to simulate the large deformation of the composite cylinders with double-layer dislocated lattice-web layout. Based on the numerical models, parametric analysis was carried out to discuss the effects of various parameters on the crushing response of the composite cylinders. Generally, using thicker GFRP material or higher radial lattice web can make the composite cylinders present an increased likelihood of brittle failure. However, filling ceramsite can not only make them exhibit plastic deformation characteristics but also facilitate the full utilization of various components.

Slurry and liquid impingement erosion behavior of low-temperature plasma carburized AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel

The impact of plasma carburizing treatment on the erosion wear resistance of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel (MSS) was studied. Experiments were carried out varying a broad spectrum of erosion parameters, including impact velocity, impact angle, and exposure duration. Both slurry and liquid impingement erosion were employed in the experiments, with testing conducted using both distilled water and saline solutions to assess the combined effects of corrosion and erosion wear. Compared to untreated samples, a significant improvement in the erosion wear resistance of AISI 420 MSS due to low-temperature plasma carburizing treatment was observed for all tested conditions. The observed performance enhancement can be attributed to the formation of the carburized layer, constituted of the α'C and Fe3C phases. Results also highlighted that the severity of the tribosystem was significantly influenced by the test solution characteristics. A marginal increase in severity was observed upon introducing the saline solution, while a more substantial severity increase occurred with the addition of solid particles in the test fluid. The specimens' mass loss was increased by increasing impact velocity, following a simple potential relationship, and with impact angle, following a first-degree linear equation. In the case of the exposure time, the mass loss curves depended on the test environment. For solutions containing quartz particles, an additional final stabilization stage was observed in addition to the acceleration stage observed in the absence of abrasive component. This phenomenon was attributed to surface work hardening induced by the impact of solid particles. Regarding wear mechanisms, samples tested only with distilled water displayed erosion flow marks. Those containing distilled water and NaCl exhibited not only flow marks but also pits. Lastly, solutions containing solid particles additionally presented features of plastic deformation, lip formation, craters, indentations, and extruded material.

Research on seismic performance of corrugated web rigid structures

Abstract: Corrugated web H-beam refers to a steel beam with a wavy shape along its length, which is extensively utilized in various parts of building structures such as beams, columns, and walls. It serves the purpose of connection and support, while the corrugated or folded design enhances the shear resistance and out-of-plane stiffness of the web to some extent. However, despite their advantages including high strength, stiffness, and lightweight construction, relevant regulations stipulate that these members can only be used in lower-intensity applications or higher-intensity scenarios if specific conditions are met. One crucial condition is that the ratio between the design value of axial force subjected to seismic action and the product of the member's flange section area and steel's tensile strength should not exceed 0.4. In this study, we aim to further investigate the seismic characteristics and applicable intensity of corrugated steel structures under earthquakes through large-scale finite element ABAQUS simulations. We will observe dynamic characteristics and failure modes of corrugated rigid frame structures using elastic-plastic time-history analysis methods as well as examine plastic deformation features of steel beam members under low cyclic loads via hysteretic analysis methods. The findings demonstrate that when properly designed with reasonable beam spans, corrugated web rigid frame structures can still be employed in high-intensity areas above 7 degrees even when subjected to an axial compression ratio up to 0.5.

Damage characterization and microscopic mechanism of steel slag-cemented paste backfill under uniaxial compression

The utilization of steel slag-cemented iron tailings for preparing mine backfill materials can effectively consume industrial solid waste generated from steel production and significantly reduce backfilling costs. The study analyzed the influence and mechanisms of steel slag (SS) content on the mechanical damage characterization of steel slag-cemented paste backfill (SS-CPB) through uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests and microscopic testing methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The engineering applicability and economic feasibility of the material were evaluated. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) With the increase of SS content, the strength of SS-CPB first increases and then decreases, with the highest strength observed at a 10% SS content. (2) The inclusion of SS in SS-CPB leads to higher peak strain and post-peak strength, demonstrating significant plastic deformation characteristics. (3) When the SS content increases from 30% to 60%, the Ca(OH)2 content in SS-CPB hydration products decreases by 20.2%, and internal micropores increase. (4) When the SS content reaches 30%, the damage mode of SS-CPB changes from purely splitting failure to a plastic combination of splitting and shear failure. These research findings provide a new application model for the collaborative utilization of steel slag, tailings, and other solid wastes.

Correlational fractal characteristics and damage progression of granite with different grain sizes based on acoustic emission monitoring

Mineral grain size caused by the geological diagenetic process is one of the fundamental reasons leading to the differences in rock mechanical behaviors, which brings challenges to the stability of underground engineering, especially in rock masses with continuous grain size changes. This study conducted uniaxial compression tests on granite samples obtained from the same invaded anticline with different grain sizes. During the tests, the acoustic emission (AE) signals were acquired synchronously. The correlation between damage evolution and AE data was then studied by frequency-spectrum analysis, fractal theory methods, and G-P algorithms. The mechanism of grain size effect on granite failure evolution was discussed. The results reveal that as the grain size increases, the strength and the elastic modulus decrease while the plastic deformation characteristic is enhanced. Grain size also affects the frequency distribution of AE signals and its time-varying characteristics. With the increase in grain size, the proportion of high-frequency signals declines during loading. The fractal dimension value of dominant frequency during loading fluctuates within the range from 0.5 to 2.25 and generally shows an overall ‘rise-fall-rise-fall’ mode. In addition, as the grain size increases from fine-grained to medium-grained, the fractal dimension changes from an increasing to a decreasing trend earlier in the compaction and elastic stages. Especially in coarse-grained samples, after a brief increase, the fractal dimension decreases continuously until approaching the overall failure. The frequency domain characteristics and correlation fractal variation of granites reflect the damage and crack evolution inside the rock sample. More scattered and unordered micro-cracks generated in samples with finer grains facilitate the dispersion of applied stress and the reduction of local stress concentration, resulting in higher strength and stiffness of the sample.

Distinguishing evaluation of plastic deformation and fatigue damage using pulsed eddy current testing

The vessels and pipes of nuclear power structures are subjected to complex forces. The structures suffer sudden loads that lead to plastic deformation and cyclic loads that result in fatigue damage. In practice, two types of microscopic damage may occur simultaneously. The effect of plastic deformation on material fatigue properties remains unclear, and there is a lack of effective methods to distinguish plastic deformation and fatigue damage. To address these issues, the fatigue life curve of 304 stainless steel is experimentally measured, and the influence of fatigue life due to the presence of plastic deformation under a certain load is investigated. It's identified that preset plastic deformation below 15% will increase the fatigue life of the structure. Additionally, a pulsed eddy current signal processing and reconstruction method based on the empirical modal decomposition (EBD) method is proposed. Finally, the pulsed eddy current signal characteristics of plastic deformation and fatigue damage are analyzed, and a distinguishing evaluation method of fatigue damage with preset plastic deformation is established.

Plastic Deformation Characteristics and Calculation Models of Unbound Granular Materials under Repeated Load and Water Infiltration

Unbound granular materials (UGMs) have advantages in their water storage and drainage capabilities in permeable pavement, which is a benefit for urban sustainable development. The plastic strain of UGM is a crucial mechanical property that affects its design and construction. During its service life, repeated load only, repeated load after infiltration, and simultaneous action with load and infiltration are the three inevitable working conditions that will impact plastic strain, especially dynamic water infiltration. How these working conditions influence plastic strain needs to be focused on and solved. This study conducted laboratory tests to investigate plastic strain considering factors such as loading strength and repetitions, as well as infiltration number and duration. The results showed that the plastic strain and plastic strain rate exhibited similar variations during the repeated load only test and repeated load after infiltration test. The plastic strain changed significantly with different infiltration numbers but had relatively small variations in terms of the plastic strain rate. Longer infiltration duration led to greater plastic strain. With the simultaneous action, the plastic strain presented different variation to the other two conditions. The first and second infiltrations had a more obvious influence on the plastic strain when infiltration was applied. Calculation models were established to predict the effects of loading strength and repetitions as well as infiltration number and duration on plastic strains. For the repeated load only test, an error of 4.6% was observed. In terms of the infiltration number and duration, the errors were found to be 18.5% and 8.5%, respectively. The power function and Sigmoidal Logistic model were used to establish calculation models under the simultaneous action test with a maximum error of 11.5% ranging from 100 to 60,000 repetitions. The proposed calculation models can characterize plastic strain under the three working conditions very well, which can help in the design and construction of fully permeable pavement.

Analysis of the High Temperature Plastic Deformation Characteristics of 18CrNi4A Steel and Establishment of a Modified Johnson–Cook Constitutive Model

To investigate the plastic deformation behavior of 18CrNi4A steel at high temperatures, an isothermal hot compression test was conducted on a Thermecmastor-Z series test machine at deformation temperatures from 1273 K to 1423 K and strain rates ranging from 0.01 s−1 to 10 s−1. The effects of these two factors on the flow stress were analyzed. Based on the true stress–strain experimental curves, the original Johnson–Cook constitutive model was applied to determine the flow stress data under different deformation conditions. The prediction results of the model were compared with the experimental data. The main reason for the large deviation observed between them was that the coupling relationship between the deformation temperature and the strain rate was not considered, so the original Johnson–Cook model was modified. The correlation coefficient and average absolute relative error of the original Johnson–Cook model were 0.962 and 16.36%. The prediction accuracy of the modified Johnson–Cook model was improved to 0.991 and 5.58%, respectively. The results show that the modified Johnson–Cook model exhibits higher prediction precision, which is beneficial for the broader application of 18CrNi4A steel in the industry.

Formation characteristics and properties of an explosion-welded steel–aluminum composite with a diffusion barrier

ABSTRACT This paper presents a study of the formation characteristics and properties of an explosion-welded steel – aluminum composite with a chromium layer diffusion barrier. The identified characteristics of joint formation allowed us to determine the weldability range of the steel – aluminum composite with a diffusion barrier and define the optimal ranges of the explosion welding parameters. The chromium layer thickness, impact velocity, and plastic deformation energy significantly affect the magnitude and characteristics of plastic deformation during explosion welding of the steel – aluminum composite with a diffusion barrier. Thus, the steel – aluminum composite with a diffusion barrier has a higher strength and better quality than the aluminum – steel bimetal.

Crystal plasticity and fluid availability govern the ability of titanite to record the age of deformation

Here, we study the relationships of titanite-hosting microdomains, intragrain chemical variations, microstructure and fluids with the aim of deciphering the reliability of titanite U–Pb dating to constrain the age of deformation in mylonitic rocks. We investigate these relationships in a post-Variscan amphibolite-facies shear zone developed in the mid-low continental crust (Ivrea-Verbano Zone, Southern Alps, Italy). Quantitative orientation analyses along with textural imaging of titanite are combined with trace-element analyses and U–Pb age dating. Titanite is studied in mm- to cm-scale layered rocks showing compositional variation consisting of alternating ‘amphibole-rich’ (i.e., amphibolites) and ‘clinopyroxene/plagioclase-rich’ domains (i.e., calc-silicates). Titanite from amphibole-rich domains shows predominance of crystal–plastic deformation features, as abrupt or progressive core-to-rim structures characterized by increasing lattice distortion and local dislocation density, associated with the development of abundant subgrains and rare newly nucleated grains. We suggest that these microstructures form while interacting with small amounts of fluids circulating along the grain boundaries. Consequently, locally the chemistry of titanite is changing. In the clinopyroxene/plagioclase-rich domains, titanite is mostly undeformed and rarely shows bending localized in discontinuous narrow rims/tips. In these domains, fluid-mediated replacement reactions are either rare or absent, as also indicated by weak chemical variations across and among grains. These observations suggest different reactivities with respect to the same P-T-fluid conditions of the two compositional domains, which coexist within the same sample at the thin section scale. U–Pb data show correlations with chemical and microstructural domains that differ as function of the composition of the microdomain. This correlation is more apparent within amphibole-rich domains where microstructures characterized by high lattice distortion/dislocations and/or subgrains show significant variations of REE, Zr, Y, Nb, U with respect to the low deformed portion of grains. These titanite domains define an isotopic population providing the youngest (Jurassic) lower intercept age. A less clear correlation between titanite chemistry and microstructures is observed in clinopyroxene/plagioclase-rich domains. Here, the rare titanites showing lattice distortion and minor Sr depletion define a population providing a similar Jurassic lower intercept age. Therefore, our results demonstrate that microstructurally and chemical calibrated U–Pb dating of titanite provides realistic ages of shear zone activity, only in case of predominance of crystal-plastic processes and of local interaction of titanite with small amounts of fluids focused along grain boundaries. Finally, the different footprints recorded by titanite grains strongly depend on the composition of cm- or mm-scale interlayered domains in which titanite occurs.

Multiscale modeling of particle-induced damage in AA7075 aluminum sheet at large plastic strains

Large plastic deformation and ductile damage in precipitation hardening aluminum alloy AA7075 is driven by plastic flow in the vicinity of particles as well as fracture and decohesion of second phase particles embedded in the matrix. The current work investigates the deformation and damage characteristics of Fe-rich intermetallic particles, and η and θ precipitates in AA7075-O sheet. A multiscale model simulation methodology is presented and applied to analyze large-scale plastic deformation and damage characteristics. The methodology utilizes nanoscale molecular dynamics simulation to obtain matrix-particle interface strength properties and Weibull statistics to capture experimental fracture characteristics of particles. The above sub-models are incorporated within a 2-D real particle microstructure-based finite element model to conduct a comparative study of the roles of decohesion and fracture in the development of plasticity and void damage in AA7075-O sheet. In addition, in-situ SEM uniaxial tensile tests are carried out to assess the effectiveness of the simulation methodology and to compare the experimental and numerical results. Post-test high resolution X-ray computed tomography (HR-XCT) was also carried out to qualitatively observe particle-induced voiding in the material. The numerical methodology is shown to capture well the experimental trends in damage evolution of the individual particles. It is observed that particle damage is a function of inherent particle properties, their morphological features, and matrix strain localization characteristics. Larger-size Fe-rich particles are observed to undergo damage at an earlier stage, and consequently, affect the strain localization characteristics the most. In contrast, η precipitates are found to be most resistant to particle damage, followed by θ precipitates. Higher stresses inside strain localization bands, caused increased void damage initiation and growth of η and θ precipitates. Overall, particle fracture is observed to be marginally higher compared to particle decohesion, irrespective of the particle type.

Toughening oxide glasses through paracrystallization.

Glasses, unlike crystals, are intrinsically brittle due to the absence of microstructure-controlled toughening, creating fundamental constraints for their technological applications. Consequently, strategies for toughening glasses without compromising their other advantageous properties have been long sought after but elusive. Here we report exceptional toughening in oxide glasses via paracrystallization, using aluminosilicate glass as an example. By combining experiments and computational modelling, we demonstrate the uniform formation of crystal-like medium-range order clusters pervading the glass structure as a result of paracrystallization under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. The paracrystalline oxide glasses display superior toughness, reaching up to 1.99 ± 0.06 MPa m1/2, surpassing any other reported bulk oxide glasses, to the best of our knowledge. We attribute this exceptional toughening to the excitation of multiple shear bands caused by a stress-induced inverse transformation from the paracrystalline to amorphous states, revealing plastic deformation characteristics. This discovery presents a potent strategy for designing highly damage-tolerant glass materials and emphasizes the substantial influence of atomic-level structural variation on the properties of oxide glasses.

Prediction and Experimental Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of SiC-Reinforced Ti-4.25Al-2V Matrix Composites Produced by Laser Direct Energy Deposition.

An important direction in the development of additive technologies is associated with the addition of ceramic particles (oxide, carbide, boride, and nitride ceramics) to metal powders. The prediction of the physical and mechanical characteristics of SiC-particle-reinforced composite materials (PRCMs) in comparison with experimental results was studied. A near-α Ti-4.25Al-2V titanium-alloy-based composite reinforced by 1 vol.% of SiC ceramic particles was produced using laser direct energy deposition. A multiscale modeling approach at the micro and macro levels was applied. At the micro level, the toughness and strength characteristics for a temperature interval of T = 20-450 °C were predicted using a representative volume element of PRCM with the nearly real shape of SiC particles. At the macro level, the features of plastic deformation and fracture of the PRCM were predicted by numerical modeling using the commercial software Digimat Student Edition ver. 2022.4 and Ansys Student 2023 R2. The addition of SiC particles was found to improve the physical and mechanical properties in the whole temperature range. The results of the numerical modeling were consistent with the experimental data (the deviation did not exceed 10%). The proposed approach for predicting the physical and mechanical properties of Ti-4.25Al-2V/SiC can also be used for other PRCMs obtained by laser direct energy deposition.

AZ31/GNP magnesium composites with excellent comprehensive mechanical properties prepared by friction stir processing and rolling

In order to further improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of commercial AZ31 Mg alloy, AZ31/graphene nano particulates (GNP) composites were prepared by AZ31 Mg alloy and graphene through friction stir processing (FSP) and following rolling. The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-FSPed and as-rolled alloys were investigated in this study. Compared with base metal, the ductility of FSPed alloys is greatly increased, while the strength is somewhat decreased. After further rolling on the FSPed plate, the strength of the alloy is improved. AZ31/GNP composites processed by FSP and rolling (50% reduction ratio) exhibits excellent mechanical properties with ultimate tensile strength of 296 MPa and elongation of 15.7%. The improved performance is attributed to the refinement of the grain and the homogenization of the second phase, which are the result of the severe plastic deformation characteristics of FSP. The multiplication of dislocations originated from rolling deformation and the reinforcement of GNP also contribute to the strength. The results verify that FSP as an intermediate step before rolling can be used as an effective mean to add reinforcement particles. On the other hand, the improved microstructure induced by severe plastic deformation of FSP is beneficial for further rolling.