Local Stress Concentration Research Articles

Hoop tensile properties and crack propagation investigation of 2D braided SiCf/SiC composite tubes: Experiments and simulations

SiCf/SiC composites are promising candidates for advanced pressurized water reactors (PWRs) fuel cladding materials due to their enhanced accident tolerance. Their mechanical properties are strongly influenced by the braided structure of continuous SiC fibers. This study fabricated SiCf/SiC composite tubes with braid angles ranging from 30° to 50°, evaluating their hoop tensile properties through expansion-due-to-compression (EDC) experiments and analyzing the damage process using finite element method simulation. Results indicate that variations in braid angles significantly affect structural density, thereby impacting mechanical strength under hoop tensile stress. Increased braid angles result in smaller pore units and higher pore density, leading to local stress concentrations and varied deflections at overlapping regions. The dynamic propagation behavior of cracks was investigated through acoustic and structural nondestructive testing methods. Finite element analysis of different braid configurations highlights the pivotal role of pore units in the initiation and propagation of hoop tensile cracks. This study enhances the understanding of toughening structures in 2D braided composites and provides a theoretical basis for future accident-tolerant fuel cladding design.

Deformation mechanism of dislocation slip and kinking behaviour in dynamic compression response of TiZrHfNb alloy fabricated by laser directed energy deposition

ABSTRACT In this study, the dynamic response and deformation mechanism of TiZrHfNb RHEA fabricated by laser directed energy deposition (L-DED) were researched under a dynamic compression test at a nominal strain rate of 3500 s−1. The L-DED TiZrHfNb alloy with columnar grains exhibits exceptional mechanical properties with a uniform dynamic flow stress of 1670 ± 10 MPa and a maximum plastic strain of 0.28 ± 0.03. The dislocation slipping and kinking behaviour dominate uniform plastic deformation. First, the dislocations are primarily confined within dislocation channels due to coplanar slip, and the evolution of them in dynamic compressive deformation process has undergone spacing refinement and crossing. Furthermore, the kinking behaviour induced by the lattice rotation with the T = <011> axis denotes the work hardening effect. Particularly, the second kinking behaviour effectively relieves local stress concentration and delays fracture before the formation of adiabatic shear band (ASB).

Experiment and prediction of the strain-range dependent ultra-low-cycle fatigue based on micromechanical cyclic void growth model

Under severe seismic action, the local stress concentration region in steel structures is prone to the ultra-low-cycle fatigue (ULCF) under high triaxiality and irregular cyclic deformation with intensively varying strain amplitudes. It emphasizes the necessity of the jointed effects of the stress triaxiality and strain range incorporated in the ULCF life prediction. Given the limited relevant studies in terms of the underlying micro-mechanisms, this paper focuses on experimental and modeling studies of the combined effects of stress triaxiality and strain range on the ULCF failure, based on Gurson-Tvergaard-Needleman (GTN) microvoid evolution theories. Monotonic tensile tests on three types of notched round bars suggest that fracture strain decreases with increasing triaxiality. Cyclic tests on two types of notched bars under various strain ranges confirm the combined effects of stress triaxiality and strain range. Given a specific triaxiality, the ULCF damage accumulation rate increases linearly as the tensile plastic strain range ramps up. For the same tensile plastic strain range, higher triaxiality results in a greater damage accumulation rate. In the modeling studies, the consistency of the GTN and uncoupled damage models has been proven in terms of ULCF failure of structural steel. Based on GTN theories, a new micromechanical cyclic void growth model (GCVGM) is proposed, considering the detailed processes of void nucleation, growth, and coalescence under monotonic and cyclic loadings. Moreover, the joint effects of stress triaxiality and strain range can be explicitly described within a unified framework, without additional empirical assumptions. Based on experimental and simulation results, the proposed GCVGM shows significant advantages over conventional models in accurately predicting ULCF failure under various loading protocols, with low average errors of 2.73 % and −0.91 % for two types of notched bar specimens, respectively.

Achieving superior strength-ductility balance by tailoring dislocation density and shearable GP zone of extruded Al-Cu-Li alloy

Pre-stretching is commonly employed to accelerate ageing precipitation kinetics in wrought Al-Cu-Li alloys, but uneven precipitation resulting from dislocation pile-ups often degrades ductility. Herein, the strength and ductility of extruded Al-Cu-Li alloy are significantly improved through a novel thermomechanical treatment, involving pre-ageing and pre-stretching, followed by low-temperature interrupted ageing. A superior balance between high yield strength (∼ 657 MPa) and good ductility (elongation to fracture of ∼ 13.5 %) is obtained, with elongation increased by 105 % compared to the conventional T8 temper, while maintaining a respectable yield strength. Microstructure analysis reveals that dense Guinier–Preston (GP) zones induced by pre-ageing effectively dissipate energy from dislocation sliding, resulting in a uniform dislocation configuration even at 8 % pre-stretching. However, the GP zone density is greatly reduced due to their dissolution following pre-stretching. Upon interrupted ageing, the reprecipitation of GP zones forms a homogeneous mixture of δ′, GP zones, and T1 phases. This combination alleviates local stress concentrations and lengthens the dislocation mean free path during tensile testing by shearing the GP zones at multiple sites, thereby improving ductility. Simultaneously, T1 precipitates strengthen the alloy by pinning dislocations and promoting dislocation cross-slip, improving work hardening capacity. The dissolution of GP zones also redistributes the Cu atoms within the matrix, further enhancing the intrinsic ductility of the Al matrix. These findings offer valuable insights for developing high-performance wrought Al-Cu-Li alloys.

Progressive damage and stiffness degradation assessments of double‐lap CFRP/Ti interference fit bolted joints under quasi‐static tensile load

AbstractMatrix crack propagation and stiffness degradation behaviors of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer/titanium alloy (CFRP/Ti) bolted joint were characterized by a synergistic damage mechanics approach. The parametric study including pre‐tightening torques and interference fit sizes was conducted. The results showed that the joint stiffness degradation exhibited characteristics of local stiffness degradation due to local stress concentration. Stiffness degradation in different plies was caused by matrix crack damage occurring in different directions. The pre‐tightening torque significantly increased the joint stiffness and restrain matrix crack progression, effectively inhibiting the stiffness degradation of the joint. Moreover, the low interference fit level delayed the crack initiation in −45° ply and 45° ply and the crack propagation of the laminate, while promoted the crack initiation in 90° ply. The stiffness degradation of the laminate could be significantly reduced by interference fit.Highlights Matrix crack propagation and stiffness degradation behaviors of the CFRP laminate were characterized by a synergistic damage mechanics method. A FE model of the CFRP/Ti double‐lap interference fit bolted joint was established. Influences of pre‐tightening torques on both matrix crack initiation and propagation were investigated. The optimum interference fit size of the matrix damage strengthening was 0.20%–0.60%.

New insights from crystallography into the effect of Ni content on ductile-brittle transition temperature of 1000 MPa grade high-strength low-alloy steel

The significant effect of Ni content (0.92, 1.94 and 2.94 wt%) on ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and microstructure in a 1000 MPa grade high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel was studied. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Charpy impact test and low-temperature tensile test to study the fundamental reasons for the effect of Ni content on toughness. The results indicated that increasing the Ni content can reduce the DBTT of HSLA steel and improve the impact toughness at low temperatures. EBSD data post-processing analysis revealed that the key reason for the increase in low-temperature toughness is the refinement of the microstructural crystallographic structure, specifically the significant increase in the boundary density of the block and packet. With the increase of Ni content, the density of grain boundary with an orientation difference greater than 5° between two adjacent {110} crystal planes was higher, which can form a higher density of dislocation pile-up group, thus better reducing local stress concentration. Meanwhile, the stacking fault energy (SFE) increases with the increase of Ni content, which made the screw dislocation more prone to cross slip at low temperature, resulting in an increase in plasticity at low temperatures. These observed phenomena and reasons provided a theoretical explanation for the role of Ni content in reducing DBTT and enhancing the toughness of the core in heavy gauge plates.

Investigating the simulation test and acoustic emission characteristics of structural-control type rockbursts in deep underground environments

Deep underground projects are in a complex in-situ stress environment, and rock burst disasters induced by the hard and brittle failure of the rock mass are prone to occur around the tunnel openings. In this study, we aim to investigate the impacts of geological weak surfaces in rock masses on rockbursts and the spatiotemporal evolution of microcracks during the development of rockbursts. To achieve this objective, two sets of cubic specimens containing a circular through-hole were designed. One set of specimens had prefabricated unfilled cracks around the openings. Subsequently, the rockburst development process within the deep tunnel was replicated by subjecting both groups of specimens to identical gradient loading using a true triaxial test system. During the test, a micro camera was used to record the failure of the borehole wall in real-time, and an acoustic emission monitoring system was utilized to capture the stress waves released during structural damage. Finally, a multi-level synergistic analysis of the rockburst damage mechanism was carried out based on the macro-imaging data and micro-acoustic emission data. The results show that failure in high-stress environments within tunnels mainly includes microcrack initiation, particle ejection, crack propagation, local cracking, slabbing spalling, damage penetration, and rockburst damage. The time–frequency domain information of acoustic emission signals is highly perceptive and representative of the structural damage state of the specimens. The mutation characteristics observed in time-domain parameters, such as acoustic emission amplitude, event rate, ringing, and cumulative energy, correspond to drastic alterations in the internal structure of the rock. The distribution characteristics of frequency-domain parameters, such as acoustic emission peak frequency, dominant frequency energy, and frequency centroid, reflect different crack scales and damage modes. The diffusion of frequency centroid indicates that the damage and failure patterns within the rock are evolving towards a more complex direction. The energy magnitude of acoustic emissions represents the damage intensity during the development of rockburst. The root causes of induced structural-control type rockbursts in deep hard brittle rock masses are the combined effects of localized high-stress concentrations and large-scale discontinuous geological structures, such as natural joints, fissures, and structural planes. The naturally occurring large-scale through-type geological weak surfaces within the rock mass reduce the strength of the surrounding rock, alter the location of stress concentration, and change the initial damage characteristics. Moreover, they promote the evolution of rockbursts, thereby increasing their destructive intensity.

Three-dimensional phase field modeling, orientation prediction and stress field analyses of twin-twin, twin-grain boundary reactions mediated by disclinations in hexagonal close-packed metals

Crystalline defects, such as dislocations, disclinations, twins and grain boundaries, play critical roles in determining the mechanical properties of metals and alloys. In particular, with multiple competitive deformation modes activated, the mechanical behaviors of hexagonal close-packed metals are strongly influenced by the interactions and reactions of various types of defects. Despite extensive studies on the elastic interactions of defects, a theoretical framework capturing crystallographic reactions, especially reaction products and associated local stress concentration, is still unavailable. Here we suggest a disclination-based method to quantify defect reactions. By using a combination of crystallographic calculations and phase field modeling/simulations, twin-twin and twin-grain boundary reactions in hexagonal close-packed metals have been quantitatively analyzed. It has been found that partial disclinations, accompanied with other defects (e.g., {112¯6} and {112¯2} high-index twins), can be generated by defect reactions as typical byproducts. The orientation change and stress fields caused by disclination formation have been systematically calculated, which offers a rigorous mathematical foundation to explore twin-twin, twin-grain boundary reactions. By quantitatively determining defect reactions and local stress fields, our work provides new insights into the deformation mechanism and microstructure-property relationship in metallic materials.

Accurate modeling and safety evaluation of dented pipeline with internal pressure based on reverse modeling technique

ABSTRACT As a common form for pipeline geometric defects, dents can induce the local stress concentration of the pipeline, which would result in the debilitation of the bearing capacity and bring huge safety hazards. In this paper, the accurate surface profiles of dented pipeline are acquired based on the 3D scanning technology and deformation detection technology, respectively. Then, the dented pipeline models are constructed by the reverse modeling technique, and the stress distribution characteristics of the dented pipeline in the operation condition are simulated using ABAQUS. The maximum von Mises stresses of a dented pipeline obtained from two proposed modeling techniques are basically consistent. However, the deformation detection technology can effectively avoid the excavation work for buried pipelines. Therefore, the reverse modeling technique based on the deformation detection technology has strong feasibility in practical projects and significant application value in the safety assessment of submarine pipelines, where excavation work is impractical.

A new sight on the fracture behavior of GH4169 produced by NaCl-induced corrosion in a humid environment of 600 °C

A novel fracture mechanism of GH4169 alloy, produced by active corrosion, was proposed via a slow-strain rate test in a NaCl deposition contained 600 °C humid environment. Circular active corrosion accelerates form of Fe, Cr-depletion and Ni-rich region. The region has elevated stacking fault energy and reduced shear modulus, inhibiting the planner slip yet promoting dislocation tangles ahead of the internal corrosion zone. Localized Stress concentration occurs, facilitating crack propagation. The synergistic interplay between cracking and active corrosion processes accelerates the rupture of GH4169 alloy, leading to reduced ductility and tensile strength of GH4169 alloy in the environments.

Locking plate augmentation of polymethylmethacrylate-filled distal femoral defects: A biomechanical study.

Benign, locally aggressive tumors of the distal femur are typically treated with intralesional curettage and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cementation. However, it is not known whether plate fixation should be added to biomechanically augment these PMMA-filled defects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of two competing techniques for reconstruction of a distal femoral defect. For this biomechanical study, we used 12 composite femurs with properties comparable to bone. In nine femurs, identical contained medial distal femoral defects were created using a robotic arm. Group A contained three intact femurs, Group B three femurs with an unfilled defect, Group C three femurs reconstructed with PMMA alone, and Group D three femurs reconstructed with PMMA plus a medial locking plate. Locations of greatest stress concentration were determined by PhotoStress analysis, then three strain gauges were applied to each specimen at these high-stress locations. Specimens were loaded within a physiologic range followed by loading to failure. Outcome measures included construct stiffness, strain along the distal femur, and load at failure. Results showed that stiffness and strain were not significantly different between reconstructive techniques; however, both techniques reduced tensile strain along the popliteal surface by approximately 40% compared to non-reconstructed specimens. All specimens failed at the femoral neck before failing at the distal femur. These findings suggest that plate augmentation of PMMA-filled distal femoral defects like the one in this study offers insignificant biomechanical benefit within physiologic loads and therefore may be unnecessary.

Research on anti-single event ability and reinforcement method of SiC MOSFET

Abstract High-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) metal-oxide field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is limited by its ability to resist single event effect (SEE), so it is necessary to study its ability to resist SEE and form an effective reinforcement method. In this paper, it will be studied that how the influence of device structure on the anti-single event ability of SiC MOSFET from the irradiation experiment, and the safe working area of single event leakage degradation of the device is examined. It is found that the width of junction field effect transistor (JFET) and P- type ohmic contact interval both affect the SEE of the device. The SEE mechanism of the device is analyzed based on the experimental results. And the failure caused by local electrothermal stress concentration is confirmed. In view of this mechanism, the reinforced structure is designed with SiO2 barrier layer added in the single event sensitive area, the electrical stress is effectively alleviated, and the peak drain current is reduced by about 18%.

Unveiling micro-scale mechanisms of in-situ silicon alloying for tailoring mechanical properties in titanium alloys: Experiments and computational modeling

Titanium-silicon (Ti-Si) alloy system shows significant potential for aerospace and automotive applications due to its superior specific strength, creep resistance, and oxidation resistance. For Si-containing Ti alloys, the sufficient content of Si is critical for achieving these favorable performances, while excessive Si addition will result in mechanical brittleness. Herein, both physical experiments and finite element (FE) simulations are employed to investigate the micro-mechanisms of Si alloying in tailoring the mechanical properties of Ti alloys. Four typical states of Si-containing Ti alloys (solid solution state, hypoeutectoid state, near-eutectoid state, hypereutectoid state) with varying Si content (0.3–1.2 wt.%) were fabricated via in-situ alloying spark plasma sintering. Experimental results indicate that in-situ alloying of 0.6 wt.% Si enhances the alloy's strength and ductility simultaneously due to the formation of fine and uniformly dispersed Ti5Si3 particles, while higher content of Si (0.9 and 1.2 wt.%) results in coarser primary Ti5Si3 agglomerations, deteriorating the ductility. FE simulations support these findings, highlighting the finer and more uniformly distributed Ti5Si3 particles contribute to less stress concentration and promote uniform deformation across the matrix, while agglomerated Ti5Si3 particles result in increased local stress concentrations, leading to higher chances of particle fracture and reduced ductility. This study not only elucidates the micro-mechanisms of in-situ Si alloying for tailoring the mechanical properties of Ti alloys but also aids in optimizing the design of high-performance Ti alloys.

Experimental and simulation study on mechanical properties of ZK60 magnesium alloy after accumulative roll bonding

Abstract The mechanical properties of two- and four-layered wrought ZK60 Mg alloy sheets after two passes of accumulative roll bonding (ARB) with different reduction were studied and the microstructure were analyzed. The four-layered ZK60 sheets after ARB with 50% reduction demonstrate better strength-ductility combinations with yield strength of 223 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 327 MPa, and total elongation of 23.7%, compared with the initial ZK60 of 222 MPa, 291 MPa and 10.0%, respectively. The average grain size of four-layered ARB ZK60 sheet is reduced from 21.8 μm of the initial sample to 4.4 μm. Using a micromechanical finite element model, the strain hardening behavior of ZK60 sheet was successfully predicted. The predictions were in good agreement with the experimental results. The simulation results reveals that the high performance of ZK60 sheets may be contributed by the lamella structure formed by the fine and coarse grains, which can avoid the local stress concentration and inhibit initiation and propagation of the microcracks. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the structural optimization design of ZK60 Mg alloys.

Microstructure and stress mapping in 3D at industrially relevant degrees of plastic deformation

Strength, ductility, and failure properties of metals are tailored by plastic deformation routes. Predicting these properties requires modeling of the structural dynamics and stress evolution taking place on several length scales. Progress has been hampered by a lack of representative 3D experimental data at industrially relevant degrees of deformation. We present an X-ray imaging based 3D mapping of an aluminum polycrystal deformed to the ultimate tensile strength (32% elongation). The extensive dataset reveals significant intra-grain stress variations (36 MPa) up to at least half of the inter-grain variations (76 MPa), which are dominated by grain orientation effects. Local intra-grain stress concentrations are candidates for damage nucleation. Such data are important for models of structure-property relations and damage.

Revealing the failure mechanism of 2D triaxially braided composites under off-axial tension through mesoscale simulations

The external load angle is known to have a significant influence on the mechanical behavior of two-dimensional triaxially braided composites (2DTBCs). However, the experimental data for 2DTBCs under off-axial loading provide limited information for understanding the failure mechanisms. In this study, a comprehensive mesoscale finite element (FE) model for simulating 2DTBC specimens was established to evaluate the mechanical responses and damage characteristics when off-axial tensile loads are applied. The FE model effectively captured the mechanical response at five distinct angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) and revealed the evolving patterns of failure behavior, damage morphology, and out-of-plane deformation mechanisms corresponding to the different loading angles. The findings indicate that, when the external load aligns with the axial fiber bundle direction, the primary failure mechanism involves the fracture of load-bearing fiber bundles. In contrast, deviations from the axial loading direction resulted in failure that was primarily due to the undulation of the bias fiber bundles, resulting in a loading angle–dependent warping at the edge of the specimen due to local shear stress concentration. The findings of this study provide valuable insights that can inform the design of structures with improved application.

Multiscale fatigue life prediction model for CFRP laminates considering the mechanical degradation of its constituents and the local stress concentration of the matrix

In the present research, a novel approach for predicting the fatigue life of composites is proposed using a multiscale fatigue model. This model considers two critical physical phenomena that occur in CFRP laminates under tension-tension cyclic loading – the degradation of the physical properties of CFRP constituents and the localized stress concentrations within the matrix. To achieve this, Mori-Tanaka’s mean field theory, a well-known micromechanics model, is employed to consider the deterioration of material properties in various phases, which is dependent on the applied stress level. Localized stress concentration phenomena within the matrix of a composite material are common when CFRP laminate is subjected to cyclic loading. The localized stress concentration on a matrix with different numbers of fibers and orientations using representative volume elements (RVE) is investigated. Two other scales of failure criteria are defined to evaluate its constituent at the material level and ply level at the macroscale. A comparison with fatigue experiment data of AS4/3501-6 composite shows good reliability of the proposed multiscale fatigue model.

Critical crack length during fracture.

Through controlled numerical simulations in a one-dimensional fiber bundle model with local stress concentration, we established an inverse correlation between the strength of the material and the cracks which grow inside it-both the maximum crack and the one that sets in instability within the system, defined to be the critical crack. Through the Pearson correlation function as well as probabilistic study of individual configurations, we found that the maximum and the critical crack often differ from each other unless the disorder strength is extremely low. A phase diagram on the plane of disorder vs system size demarcates between the regions where the largest crack is the most vulnerable one and where they differ from each other but still show moderate correlation.

Simple incision and suture modeling on fixed structured grids

This paper presents a simple yet versatile approach to simulate skin incisions and suturing using nonlinear finite element analysis on a fixed structured grid with a spring-based suture model. Incisions and wounds are introduced by element removal and the sutures are discretely modeled by applying linear constraint relations pairwise to groups of nodes. Two numerical examples utilize the closing of an elliptical wound to study the influence of the number of sutures and their location, and two test cases use the Z-plasty transposition flap technique to investigate the versatility of the proposed method and for comparison with state-of-the-art results. The results indicate that the presented method is able to recreate literature results to an acceptable level of accuracy. Further, the method proves versatile due to the ability to freely introduce incisions and wounds onto the fixed grid modeling domain without remeshing. Lastly, the two main advantages of the discrete suture representation are the ability to capture local stress concentrations near the sutures and the full freedom in placing the sutures.

Computational design of auxetic microstructures via stress-based topology optimization

Material design plays a pivotal role in industries dedicated to lightweight manufacturing. In response to the needs of such industries, topology optimization (TO) has evolved beyond structural optimization to include designing material microstructures for improved structural performance. While conventional approaches often prioritize stiffness-oriented designs as a foundational aspect of structural integrity, it is equally imperative to emphasize strength-based design principles to ensure robustness against localized stress concentrations and potential failure modes. This paper explores the application of stress-constrained topology optimization (SCTO) for designing auxetic microstructures. The study commences with a comprehensive parametric analysis to examine the influence of the P-norm parameter, variations in volume fraction, and initial design adjustments on the resulting microstructures. Several optimized structures, accompanied by stress contours, are generated to showcase how the optimization process responds to these parameters. The approach employs the density-based solid isotropic material with penalization material interpolation scheme, and it utilizes the stress penalization technique to mitigate the singularity phenomenon. The multi-constraint optimization employs the method of moving asymptotes algorithm to update design variables. The effectiveness of the proposed approach to utilize actual strain fields, derived from macroscopic finite element analysis under service loads, for TO of an auxetic microstructure according to strength requirements is demonstrated. The application of the designed microstructure is explored through its integration into an auxetic cushion pad. This analysis confirms the microstructure’s effectiveness in practical applications, demonstrating its potential for broader usage in similar applications.