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The complexity of the microstructure in composites has led to major generalizations when predicting the strength of composites. In recent years composite strength predictions have progressed by improving the fidelity of randomly packed unidirectional models. Taking it one step, further we created digital twin models of real microstructures for discontinuous aligned composites. In these models we evaluated the impact of the mean fiber direction on the local stress concentration factors. We found that the local stress concentration factors can vary 71% within a 20 ° range of rotation. Nonetheless, this variation is load dependent and will be reduced with load progression.

Fatigue delamination growth in composites is accompanied by large scale bridging (LSB) that yields important toughening effects. However the extent of this mechanism depends on the laminate geometry rendering its modeling a challenging task. This work presents a combined experimental/numerical study on characterization of specimen thickness dependence of LSB in fatigue delamination. Double cantilever beam specimens of different thicknesses (h = 2 4 and 8 mm) equipped with arrays of multiplexed fiber Bragg grating sensors are subjected to mode I fatigue loads. Measured strain data with the sensors are employed to identify the bridging tractions and subsequently compute the energy release rate (ERR) due to the bridging as well as the ERR at the crack tip. The obtained results confirm that fatigue delamination growth strongly depends on the specimen geometry when LSB prevails. It is shown that both the extent of bridging and critical ERR at failure increase by increasing the specimen thickness while the maximum bridging traction at the crack tip is found independent of the specimen geometry. The identified traction separation relations serve to establish a power correlation between the crack growth rate and ERR at the crack tip which is independent of the specimen thickness.

It is well known that large scale bridging accompanying delamination and fracture in layered composites is among the most important toughening mechanisms. The resulting resistance to fracture however is depended on the specimen geometry rendering its modeling difficult. As a consequence characterization of the tractions on the wake of the crack the so called bridging zone is very important in the efforts to predict the loading response of composite structures. In this chapter experimental results and modeling of delamination and fracture in layered composite specimens are discussed. The experimental part consists of displacement controlled monotonic tests of interlaminar and intralaminar fracture. Selected specimens are equipped with wavelength multiplexed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors to monitor crack propagation and strains over several mm in the wake of the crack. The modeling part involves an iterative scheme to calculate the traction separation relation due to bridging using the strains from the FBG sensors parametric finite elements and optimization. The results demonstrate an important effect of specimen thickness in interlaminar and intralaminar fracture: the bridging length at steady state linearly increases with specimen thickness while the maximum bridging stress is independent for thickness in each case. Results of a similar study in cross ply specimens limited to a selected specimen thickness show important effects of specimen width on the extent of large scale bridging. The obtained traction separation relations for each investigated case are employed in a cohesive zone simulation to predict the corresponding load displacement curves. On the basis of the experimental results a micromechanics model is used based on an embedded cell model to predict the observed specimen thickness effects on large scale bridging. The results of the reported studies demonstrate an important effect of specimen geometry on large scale bridging. Thus the so called bridging law is not a material parameter. Using the proposed methodologies the thickness effect on large scale bridging is quantified and used to predict the load displacement response.

One of the key issues in composite structures for aircraft applications is the early detection and localisation of damage. Often service induced damage does not involve visible plastic deformation, but internal matrix related damage, like transverse cracks and delaminations. Their detection imposes costly maintenance techniques. Vibration based damage identification methods are promising as an alternative for the time consuming and costly Non-Destructive Testing methods currently available. These methods also offer the potential to be used in a real-time health monitoring system. The measured change of the dynamic properties is employed to identify damage such as delaminations. Earlier performed research [1] showed that the Modal Strain Energy Damage Index algorithm [2] is a suitable method to identify impact induced damage in a fibre reinforced composite plate structure with stiffeners using laser vibrometer measurements. The damage identification algorithm requires the computation of the second derivative of the displacement mode shapes. The goal is to extent this research by applying fibre Bragg gratings since they can be valuable. Firstly, optical fibre sensors are suitable for integration, which is required in a Structural Health Monitoring environment. Secondly, measured strain mode shapes could be advantageous with respect to the numerical errors induced by the computation of second derivatives of the displacement mode shapes. Before applying the damage identification algorithm, it is a challenge to accurately extract the dynamic properties. The dynamic properties of a damaged composite T-shaped stiffener section, shown in figure 1, are investigated in this work using fibre Bragg gratings.

Journal of Electronic Materials, 38 (10), ISSN:0361-5235, ISSN:1543-186X

The effects of particle reinforcement of Sn-4.0wt.%Ag-0.5wt.%Cu (SAC405) lead-free solder on interfacial intermetallic layer growth and strength of the ensuing joints through short-term isothermal aging (150 degrees C) were studied. Composite solders were prepared by either incorporating 2 wt.% Cu (3 mu m to 20 mu m) or Cu2O (similar to 150 nm) particles into SAC405 paste. Aggressive flux had the effect of reducing the Cu2O nanoparticles into metallic Cu which subsequently reacted with the solder alloy to form the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic. While all solders had similar interfacial intermetallic growth upon reflow, both of the composite solders' growth rates slowed through aging to reach a common growth rate exponent of approximately 0.38, considerably lower than that of the nonreinforced solder (n = 0.58). The nanoscale reinforced solder additionally exhibited the highest tensile strength in both the initial and aged conditions, behavior also attributed to its quick conversion to a stable microstructure.

Search String Advanced > Saved Searches > ARTICLE TOOLS Get PDF (641K) Save to My Profile E-mail Link to this Article Export Citation for this Article Get Citation Alerts Request Permissions More Sharing ServicesShare | Share on citeulike Share on facebook Share on delicious Share on www.mendeley.com Share on twitter Abstract Article References Cited By View Full Article (HTML) Enhanced Article (HTML) Get PDF (641K) Keywords: constrain effect;elastic-plastic behaviour;finite element;size effect;solder joint;structural optimisation ABSTRACT The durability and reliability of lead-free solder joints depends on a large number of factors, like geometry, processing parameters, microstructure and thermomechanical loads. In this work, the nature and influence of the plastic constraints in the solder due to joining partners have been studied by parametric finite element simulation of solder joints with different dimensions. The apparent hardening due to plastic constraints has been shown to strongly depend on the solder gap to thickness ratio with an inversely proportional evolution. Due to interaction of several parameters, the macroscopic stress–strain constitutive law of lead-free solder materials should be determined in the most realistic conditions. In order to identify the elasto-plastic constitutive law of Sn–Ag–Cu solders, a sub-micron resolution Digital Image Correlation technique has been developed to measure the evolution of strain in solder joints during a tensile test. Experimental results of the stress–strain response of Sn–Ag–Cu solder joints have been determined for several solder gaps. The measured load–displacement curves have been used in an inverse numerical identification procedure to determine the constitutive elasto-plastic behaviour of the solder material. The effects of geometrical constraints in a real solder joint with heterogeneous stress and strain fields are then studied by comparing the apparent (constrained) and constitutive (non-constrained) stress–strain relationships. Once the size dependant constraining effects have been removed from the stress–strain relationship, the scale effects can be studied separately by comparing the constitutive elasto-plastic parameters of joints with a variable thickness. Experimental stress–strain curves (constrained and unconstrained) for Sn–4.0Ag–0.5Cu solder in joints of 0.25–2.4 mm gap are presented and the constraining and the size effects are discussed.

The mechanical response of the reinforced active alloy Incusil (TM) ABA (R)-SiC is studied. Specimens with up to 27 vol.% SiC particles are produced and tested in tension. The presence of the reinforcement leads to modifications in the alloy mechanical response and microstructure, with a decrease in the volume fraction of Ti-containing phases. To study the in situ response of the matrix material in the composites an inverse homogenization approach is proposed. The identified responses of the matrix materials are softer than that of unreinforced Incusil (TM) ABA (R). These results are experimentally confirmed by studying the effect of Ti-addition to Incusil (TM) ABA (R), a braze alloy whose composition is close to that of Incusil (TM) ABA (R) without Ti. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In 2009, l’Hydroptère broke the symbolic barrier of 50 knots and became the world fastest sailing boat over both 500 meters and 1 nautical mile. This major achievement relied on the high skills of the sailing team but also on technical advances of the boat, resulting from the scientific collaboration between the Hydroptère Design Team and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). In the present article, we highlight the multidisciplinary research activity performed within EPFL in the course of this collaboration involving aero- and hydrodynamics, materials and structure as well as computer vision. Various foils were tested at reduced scale in a high speed water tunnel, and the results used to validate the numerical simulations. Composite materials, their processing parameters and assembly components were tested. The structural behaviour was also investigated to determine strains and stresses in normal and extreme sailing conditions, taking waves into account, and a combined model was derived for dynamic simulation. Finally, advanced computer vision methods were developed and implemented on the boat to monitor foil immersion and cross beams deformations.

It is well known that moisture absorption impairs the mechanical and physical properties of polymers. Conventionally, the material's hygric strains are described as the product of a constant coefficient of moisture expansion (CME) and moisture concentration. This hypothesis, however, has not been thoroughly examined experimentally. In this paper, the hygro-mechanical response of a DGBA based epoxy is reported as a function of moisture uptake. Cylindrical specimens are made of epoxy with an axially located optical fiber that contains a 23 mm Bragg grating sensor (FBG). Strain data from the sensor and from a micrometer are combined with experimental absorption curves to determine the resin's CME. The data indicate that diffusion and CME depend on moisture. Analysis of the experiments is carried out by numerical simulations of heat transfer, moisture diffusion and elastic stress analysis of the single fiber composite. The simulated results correlate well with the experimental data. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.