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The failure of polymeric solid insulation under transient voltages is closely associated with space charge. In this study, DC and AC field dependent conduction characteristics of epoxy resin were investigated using the space charge limited current and high voltage broadband dielectric spectrum methods. The breakdown voltages (BDVs) were examined over a wide range of DC voltage ramp rates. The results reveal a threshold effect of AC conduction loss below 600 Hz with respect to the electric field. By analyzing charge migration laws, a mobility distribution was deduced, with an upper limit of 10 − 9 m 2 V − 1 s − 1 , which is much higher than the measured DC mobility of 10 − 14 m 2 V − 1 s − 1 . A multi-mobility bipolar charge transport model was proposed by introducing the obtained mobility distribution. Compared to the single-mobility model, high-mobility carriers induce larger unblocked space charge currents for high dv/dt voltages, leading to lower values of BDV, which is consistent with experiment results. As the voltage ramp rate decreases, both simulation and experiment demonstrate higher BDVs due to the field shielding effect of homocharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous solids are known to fail catastrophically via fracture, and cavitation at nano-metric scales is known to play a significant role in such a failure process. Micro-alloying via inclusions is often used as a means to increase the fracture toughness of amorphous solids. Modeling such inclusions as randomly pinned particles that only move affinely and do not participate in plastic relaxations, we study how the pinning influences the process of cavitation-driven fracture in an amorphous solid. Using extensive numerical simulations and probing in the athermal quasistatic limit, we show that just by pinning a very small fraction of particles, the tensile strength is increased, and also the cavitation is delayed. Furthermore, the cavitation that is expected to be spatially heterogeneous becomes spatially homogeneous by forming a large number of small cavities instead of a dominant cavity. The observed behavior is rationalized in terms of screening of plastic activity via the pinning centers, characterized by a screening length extracted from the plastic-eigenmodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, a lack of fatigue design curves for Cr-Mo steel in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen worldwide impedes the use of the design fatigue curve (S-N curve) evaluation for vessel fatigue design, necessitating reliance on fracture mechanics methods related to the initial crack size. In this study, strain-controlled fatigue tests with a strain ratio of −1 were carried out in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen to study the low cycle fatigue properties of Cr-Mo steel. Results indicate that hydrogen reduces the fatigue life of 4130X under high strain amplitudes. Under 0.5 % strain amplitude, different from characteristics of ductile fracture in air, the fracture in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen showed quasi-cleavage and intergranular fracture characteristics. Based on the test results, the S - N curve in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen was obtained with fatigue life safety factor 20 and stress amplitude safety factor 2. The S - N curve in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen is under the curve in KD-320.2 M of the 2023 ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code VIII-3, which does not consider the effect of hydrogen, when the number of cycles to failure is less than 1×106. This indicates that the fatigue life calculated by the S - N curve in KD-320.2 M cannot ensure that 50 MPa high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels avoid fatigue failure under high stress amplitudes. • Carrying out fatigue tests with a strain ratio of −1 in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen. • Morphology of fractures under 0.5% strain amplitude were analyzed. • Based on test results, the S - N curve in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen was obtained. • Fatigue evaluations were performed by S - N curves and fracture mechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage mechanism and fracture behavior of lithium hydride (LiH) ceramic are key to its design and application at elevated temperature in nuclear engineering. LiH ceramic is tested in a loading rate range of 0.001–2 mm/min from room temperature (RT) to 600 °C using digital image correlation (DIC) method combined with high-speed photography. At low temperature (up to 300 °C), LiH ceramic undergoes brittle fracture. At high temperature (up to 600 °C), LiH ceramic undergoes creep fracture at low loading rate and ductile fracture at high loading rate. The main crack growth rate of LiH ceramic with ductile fracture is higher than that of LiH ceramic with creep fracture, and is lower than that of LiH ceramic with brittle fracture. With the change of temperature and loading rate, three damage mechanisms, fatigue damage corresponding to SCG of inherent flaws, creep damage represented by creep microcracks and ductile damage symbolled by dimples, occur simultaneously and show competitive characteristics, one of which dominates the failure. At low loading rate, there is a transition of the dominant damage mechanism from fatigue to creep damage with increasing temperature. At high temperature, the dominant damage mechanism changes from creep to ductile damage with the increase of loading rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article proposes an hybrid equilibrium element (HEE) formulation for the prediction of cohesive fracture formation and propagation with the crack modelled by extrinsic interface embedded at element sides. The hybrid equilibrium element formulation can model high order (quadratic, cubic and quartic) stress fields which strongly satisfy homogeneous equilibrium equations, inter‐element and boundary equilibrium equations. The HEE can implicitly model both the initially rigid behaviour of an extrinsic interface and its debonding condition with separation displacement and softening. The extrinsic interface is embedded at the element sides and its behaviour is governed by means of the same degrees of freedom of HEE (generalized stresses), without any additional degree of freedom. The proposed extrinsic cohesive model is developed in the thermodynamic framework of damage mechanics. The proposed crack propagation criterion states that crack grows when the maximum principal stress reaches the tensile strength value, in a direction orthogonal to the principal stress direction. The crack is embedded at an element side and the mesh around crack tip is adapted, by rotation of the element sides, in order to have the interface aligned to the crack growth direction. Three classic two‐dimensional problems of fracture propagation are numerically reproduced and the results compared to the experimental data or to the other numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an alternative boundary element method (BEM) formulation for the cohesive crack propagation modelling in three‐dimensional structures. The proposed formulation utilises an initial stress field for representing the mechanical behaviour along the fracture process zone, which leads to a set of self‐equilibrated forces named as dipole. Cohesive laws govern the material nonlinear behaviour along the fracture process zone. The proposed dipole‐based formulation demonstrates some advantages in comparison to classical BEM approaches in this field. Among them, it is worth citing the requirement of solely three integral equations per collocation point positioned at the fracture process zone. The effectiveness of the dipole‐based formulation has been demonstrated by four applications. The results have been compared to numerical, experimental and analytical solutions available in the literature, in which excellent performance has been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural health monitoring is vital for improving the safety and reliability of fiber‐reinforced composites. However, it is still challenging to achieve high sensing performance without changing the overall properties of composites. In this work, conductive fibers were braided into pigtails to achieve high sensing sensitivity and maintain low electrical resistance. Conductive pigtails with hierarchical and critically connected percolation networks were integrated with basalt fabric by an embroidery technique to realize self‐diagnosis of composites. After being embedded in epoxy composites, the material exhibited low electrical resistance (128.8 kΩ) and excellent sensing performance, demonstrating a high Gauge factor of 8.1, good linearity (R2 > 99%) and stability. The experimental results also showed that conductive pigtails can sensitively inform crack initiation and growth inside composites, which is extremely important for warning of the risk of material fractures. In addition, the mechanical strength of the material was almost unchanged before and after the pigtails were embedded. All these results indicate that conductive pigtails could be used as highly sensitive sensors for realizing structural health monitoring in fiber‐reinforced composites. Highlights: CBs/TPU pigtails with hierarchical conductive paths were fabricated and firmly integrated with basalt fabric by the embroidery technique.There is a good interface between the pigtails and the matrix, resulting in the embedding of the pigtails with little change in the mechanical properties of the composites.Pigtails can sensitively detect crack initiation and growth in composites, demonstrating the potential for self‐diagnosis of fiber‐reinforced composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The very high‐cycle fatigue (VHCF) fractographies of high‐strength steel AISI 4340 with tensile strength ranging from 1285 to 2363 MPa fabricated by tempering were systematically observed and quantitatively analyzed. It is found that the fatigue crack initiation sites were gradually transferred from the specimen surface to the interior with increasing the tensile strength or decreasing the stress amplitude. Such phenomenon has become common rule in the high‐cycle fatigue (HCF) or VHCF regimes of high‐strength steels. Based on the fracture mechanics, a simplified transition mechanism for fatigue crack initiation sites is established in terms of the influence of applied stress amplitude and microstructure, which is beneficial to enhance our understanding on the variation of fatigue strength increasing the tensile strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding material failure on a fundamental level is a key aspect in the design of robust structural materials, especially for metals and alloys capable to undergo plastic deformation. In the last decade, significant progress is made in quantifying the stresses associated with failure in both experiments and simulations. Nonetheless, the processes occurring on the most essential level of individual dislocations that govern semi‐brittle and ductile fracture are still experimentally not accessible, limiting the failure prediction capabilities. Therefore, in the present work, a one‐of‐a‐kind nanoscale fracture experiment is conducted on a single crystalline Cr bending beam in situ in the transmission electron microscope and for the first time quantify the transient strains around individual dislocations, as well as of the whole dislocation network during crack opening. The results reveal the importance of both pre‐existing and newly emitted dislocations for crack‐tip shielding via their intrinsic strain field and provide guidelines to design more damage tolerant materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a sophisticated three-dimensional elastoplastic progressive damage finite element analysis (FEA) model for stiffened composite materials under axial compression. The model integrates the Hashin and Ye criteria to capture the inception of damage within the composite and introduces a cohesive zone model (CZM) to simulate debonding between stiffeners and panels. Furthermore, damage evolution based on energy release rate and plastic flow rules grounded in Hill’s criteria are employed to thoroughly explore the progressive failure behavior of stiffened composite materials. Implemented within Abaqus/Explicit through user-defined ‘VUMAT’ subroutines, the model ensures computational accuracy and reliability. Comparative evaluations against standard linear elastic progressive damage models demonstrate a statistically significant improvement of at least 5% in predicting ultimate load capacities. Additionally, this model accurately captures different failure modes, providing a nuanced understanding of stiffened composite material failure under compressive loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen significantly influences the fatigue crack growth (FCG) of pipeline steel, while traditional semi-empirical models sometimes fail to accurately describe the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) at which hydrogen assisted. Traditional machine learning methods also struggle to analyze the physical correlations between model outputs, parameters, and data. In this paper, a two-stage equation for hydrogen-assisted FCG is proposed using Balanced Iterative Reducing and Clustering Using Hierarchies (BIRCH) clustering and domain knowledge-guided symbol regression. The segmentation of crack growth data is achieved through the BIRCH algorithm and outputs the transitive stress intensity factor K t , while domain knowledge is obtained by analyzing the symbol regression (SR) trees of six existing semi-empirical models. By constraining the symbol regression search space with variable subtrees including Δ K , Δ K t h , R, K I H , and K I C , a SR model is developed based on the ×60-5.5 MPa-R0.5 test data. The applicability of the equation under different conditions was validated using test data from X60-5.5 MPa-R0.1, X60-21 MPa-R0.1, X60-21 MPa-R0.5, X42-6.9 MPa-R0.1, and X42-6.9 MPa-R0.8. The results indicate that our model outperforms the other six semi-empirical crack propagation rate models, achieving higher prediction accuracy with a minimum R 2 value of 0.968912 and a maximum RMSE value of 0.000003. Therefore, this two-stage model accurately captures the hydrogen-assisted FCGR and enhances the predictive capability of fatigue life in a hydrogen environment, providing valuable references for hydrogen-related pipeline design and operational safety. [Display omitted] • Adaptive segmentation of hydrogen crack growth data based on BIRCH clustering algorithm. • Physical knowledge of six semi-empirical models guides the process of symbolic regression search equations. • A two-stage equation describing the hydrogen-assisted crack growth rate is proposed. • The proposed equation is applicable to experimental data with different materials, hydrogen pressures, and stress ratios. • Comparison with existing semi-empirical models proves the superiority of the proposed equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collocation boundary element method, as developed and taught in the traditional books, suffers from severe inconsistencies, partly responsible for the method's lack of clarity and broader applicability (not to mention the uncontrollable proliferation of misleading alternatives that only add to more confusion). This has been recently corrected, as summarized in this review paper, in which we report the proposition of a convergence theorem for the general, just consistent, three-dimensional isoparametric formulation of potential and elasticity problems (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enganabound.2023.01.017), and also introduce the not interchangeable concepts of nodes and loci, for boundary displacements and tractions in elasticity, respectively, as well as of points, for domain sources. We have implemented, for both two-dimensional potential and elasticity problems, real-variable (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enganabound.2023.01.015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enganabound.2023.03.026) and—still better—complex-variable (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enganabound.2023.04.024) codes for generally high-order, curved elements, which effortlessly enable evaluations with numerical precision that is only machine-limited and only resorts to the problem's mathematics—plus Gauss–Legendre quadrature of all integrals' regular parts. (Ad hoc mechanical interpretations, "regularizations," interval subdivisions, special quadrature formulas, or variable transformations are neither strictly speaking correct nor generally applicable nor required.) Despite the singular kernels that enter diverse forms of Somigliana's identity (as for evaluating stress results at a domain point), problem-unrelated singularities do not come up in a mathematically consistent formulation and implementation: singularities are just man-made. A few examples of highly challenging topological issues are presented. We show that fracture mechanics problems may be dealt with seamlessly, and we manage to objectively assess a problem's topological consistency, precision, accuracy, and round-off errors related to a given mesh discretization and software-conditioned computational digits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the relation between the microstructure and the material's effective behavior is an important aspect in inverse computational materials engineering. Especially in the context of localized, inelastic phenomena like plasticity and crack growth, the microstructure morphology plays a crucial role. Due to the stochastic nature of heterogeneous media, a statistical analysis over multiple simulations is necessary, since even with the same material, the simulated crack paths and effective crack lengths are highly dependent on the specific locations of microstructural features. A relevant factor that limits this type of investigation is the high cost of real microstructure data. This work presents a digital workflow for exploring the fracture properties of materials. Therein, the required statistical analyses are facilitated by an algorithm that reconstructs multiple realization of a material structure given a single example. The reconstructed structures are discretized with a regular non-conforming mesh with a diffuse interface and crack representation. Crack phase-field simulations are conducted in order to analyze the effective response. An in-depth introduction to the required methods is given together with a statistical evaluation of the conducted numerical experiments. It is concluded that the statistical variation of the effective material behavior overshadows morphological trends in the presented case. This confirms the relevance and utility of complementing simulation-based workflows with microstructure reconstruction and statistical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing any accurate fracture criteria for composite materials requires consideration of energy dissipation effects at the crack tip due to its quasi-brittle nature. In this paper, a non-local damage model is incorporated into the reinforced isotropic solid (RIS) model for mixed mode I/II fracture assessment of orthotropic materials. In contrast with the local stress, in the non-local stress approach the effects of the fracture process zone (FPZ) can be included into the criterion with defined coefficients. After choosing an appropriate criterion to investigate the growth of micro-cracks, the concept of non-local stress (NLS) is used for developing the mentioned criterion. Due to the formation of the fracture process zone in the matrix of the damaged material, the RIS concept is used as a superior material model to simulate the fracture behavior of orthotropic materials. In RIS model, fibers take part as matrix reinforcements, and their effects are considered as stress reduction coefficients in theoretical investigation. Initial cracks are considered along and perpendicular to the fibers. The concept of crack kinking and growth along the fibers is utilized to develop fracture criterion for cracks perpendicular to the fibers. In comparison with available criteria, this criterion can consider different crack–fiber angles. Combination of the RIS theory with this defined damage coefficient presents a new model for prediction of the properties of damage zone for the cracked orthotropic materials. Fracture envelop curves in comparison with the available experimental results show the capability of the presented criterion in predicting the moment of failure of orthotropic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to prevent the body from overheating, a corresponding thermal protection device is usually designed on the inner wall of the combustion chamber. The working environment of this thermal protection device is very harsh, and it needs to withstand internal and external pressure loads and thermal radiation loads of the combustion chamber, especially at the connection between the cylinder and the support parts, the force is harsher. In order to avoid engine damage, causing unnecessary losses. In this article, the thermal–mechanical coupling analysis of the heat shield is carried out by finite element method to analyze the thermal stress and mechanical stress. According to the finite element simulation results, the initial cracks are inserted, respectively, at the stress concentration. Using linear elastic fracture mechanics and Forman–Newman–de Koning models, the crack growth lifetimes of cracks at different locations were calculated. The results of the study show that comparing the initial cracks at different locations, the cracks on the side near the edge of the heat shield have the largest reduction in crack growth life of 64.4% and the critical crack length of 52.0%. The linear superposition of thermal and mechanical stresses under different working conditions has different degrees of nonlinear effects on the crack growth life and critical crack length. The research work in this article can provide a basis for the evaluation of fatigue crack growth life of heat shield and can also provide a reference for engine maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture resistance of adhesive joints depends on the bondline thickness, especially in the toughest systems. While increasing the adhesive thickness to operate at peak fracture toughness is anticipated to be attractive, it leads to a mass increase and to a decrease of the effective shear stiffness and strength, calling for a trade-off. Here, we follow a rational materials selection approach for mechanical design to address different sets of objectives and constraints representative of different classes of applications. The approach is applied to select the best conventional adhesive based on a novel database. Mechanical analysis with two different degrees of complexity is considered. The elementary level only accounts for the influence of thickness on toughness, while more advanced models introduce the dependence of shear strength on thickness as well as the stiffness mismatch with the adherends. The best adhesive choice strongly depends on the objectives, constraints, and loading configuration. However, the ranking is not drastically affected by the adherends' stiffness. Gaps found for stiff/strong and tough adhesives motivate the development of architected joints. Inserting stop holes improves damage tolerance and density but reduces the shear strength and stiffness, requiring an optimum design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract–The Weibull distribution is the most applied model in reliability field for lifetime analysis. The Weibull location parameter, characterizing the minimum possible life, plays a significant role in engineering applications. In this paper, we consider the interval estimation on the location parameter when the product's lifetime follows the three-parameter Weibull distribution with a known shape parameter. A novel approach based on the relationship between the minimum order statistics, the location parameter, and the sample size is developed to construct confidence intervals for the Weibull location parameter. Thereafter, we compare it with other two interval estimation approaches by the performances of the coverage probability and the average length via simulations and a real application. The results show that the proposed method outperforms the pivot quantity (PQ) method and the bias-corrected and accelerated (Bca) bootstrap method in small and medium samples in terms of coverage probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture behavior of welding material at elevated temperatures can significantly affect the performance of steel welded connections in fires. Therefore, this paper investigates the fracture behavior and fracture model of welding material in steel welded connections exposed to elevated temperatures up to 700°C. Firstly, using the standard tension test data and numerical analysis method, the true stress–strain model of E7018 welding materials at elevated temperatures was derived for fracture prediction of steel welded connections. The fracture parameters of the welding materials at elevated temperatures in tension and shear were calibrated from the results of the standard tension test and longitudinal fillet-welded connection tension test, respectively. The 2D fracture models of welds at elevated temperatures were developed considering the relationship between stress triaxiality and equivalent plastic strain at fracture. The 3D fracture models of welds at elevated temperatures were then established from the 2D fracture model by considering the effect of Lode angle parameters in tension and shear. The 3D fracture models of welds were validated against the tension tests on the fillet welded connections at elevated temperatures under different load angles including 0°, 45°, and 90°. Finally, the fracture model as the function of temperature, stress triaxiality, Lode angle parameter, and plastic strain at fracture was proposed for E7018 welding material. According to the results, the welding material demonstrates ductile fracture behavior at elevated temperatures. The developed 3D fracture model can reasonably predict the fracture behavior of the welding material in steel welded connections at elevated temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly polymer-modified (HP) asphalt has been shown to enhance asphalt mixture performance. To evaluate its effectiveness in resisting reflective cracking, this study conducted dynamic modulus tests, cyclic fatigue tests, and overlay tests at three temperatures (4°C, 10°C, and 18°C) and compared the performance of HP mixtures against a control mixture. In addition, digital image correlation (DIC) has been used in the overlay test to capture crack growth. Apart from laboratory tests, simulations were conducted with two overlay thicknesses (3.81 and 7.62 cm) and two sets of climate inputs (isothermal and real) to assess the reflective cracking performance of HP at the structural level. The experimental results demonstrate that despite the selected two mixtures having similar modulus master curves, the HP mixture exhibits better resistance to reflective cracking compared with the control mixture. Specifically, predictions of the number of cycles to failure (Nf) by the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage (S-VECD) model, based on cyclic fatigue tests, indicate that the HP mixture has longer Nf values across all selected temperatures. In overlay tests, at 4°C, the HP mixture shows comparable crack growth to the control mixture, whereas at 10°C and 18°C, the HP mixture demonstrates slower crack propagation. Furthermore, increasing the temperature tends to extend Nf in both the cyclic fatigue test and the overlay test. The structural simulation results indicate that the overlay thickness has a significant impact on the predicted reflective cracking distress. When the overlay thickness is 3.81 cm, the two materials perform similarly based on the simulated output with respect to fatigue reflective cracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic, plastic, and in-plane damage evolutions of a carbon-fiber-reinforced epoxy composite fabricated via filament winding were studied based on continuum damage mechanics. The specific voids and resin-rich region distributions depended on the material and manufacturing conditions. The damage evolutions were expressed by a unified curve, indicating that the continuum damage mechanics approach gave a robust prediction of the damage evolution, although the critical damage at the ultimate failure depended on the material and manufacturing conditions. The damage coupling parameters were also affected by these conditions, which changed the damage evolution behavior under simultaneous shear and transverse damage development situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this expository Note, it is shown that the Griffith phase-field theory of fracture accounting for material strength originally introduced by Kumar, Francfort, and Lopez-Pamies (J Mech Phys Solids 112, 523–551, 2018) in the form of PDEs can be recast as a variational theory. In particular, the solution pair (u , v) defined by the PDEs for the displacement field u and the phase field v is shown to correspond to the fields that minimize separately two different functionals, much like the solution pair (u , v) defined by the original phase-field theory of fracture without material strength implemented in terms of alternating minimization. The merits of formulating a complete theory of fracture nucleation and propagation via such a variational approach — in terms of the minimization of two different functionals — are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-peak overload test based on DIC technology was carried out in this study, and U71MnG steel was used to explore the influence of dislocation motion on crack propagation during overload. The changes in the shape and size of the plastic zone during the overload fatigue cycle are tracked and recorded, and the trends in the stress intensity factors of the Christopher–James–Patterson (CJP) and dislocation correction models are compared. The degree of influence of the dislocation motion on the variation in the stress intensity factors is evaluated, and the variation pattern of the plastic flow factor is derived (the amount of crack tip blunting, ρ). The results showed that the dislocation correction model increased the accuracy of the solution of the coefficient set, and the predicted size of the plastic zone of the correction model was more consistent with the experimental data. A better match with the crack tip was observed in the experimental plastic zone, the dislocation correction model error with the theoretical plastic zone fluctuates within 10%, whereas the CJP model can reach a maximum of 36.75%, demonstrating the insensitivity of the dislocation correction model. The plastic flow factor ρ follows the same pattern as that of the plastic zone area and stress intensity factor amplitude, ρ increases slowly with the increase of crack length before overload, ρ increases significantly after overload and then decreases sharply, and it recovers to be stable with the disappearance of the overload hysteresis effect of crack propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lithium penetration-induced fracture within solid electrolytes (SEs) is a major issue hindering the commercialization of solid-state lithium-ion batteries (SS-LIBs). Such fracture has been frequently observed during electrochemical plating of lithium (Li)-metal anodes, but its mechanistic origin is still largely unclear. Objective: We present the first quantitative operando analysis of the fracture characteristics of a model SE material under battery-relevant electrochemical cycling conditions. Methods: Full-field deformation during Li deposition-induced cracking of garnet-type LLZTO was measured using the digital image correlation (DIC) method. The obtained displacement data were denoised via equilibrium smoothing, and then fitted to the linear elastic asymptotic crack-tip field to extract the electrochemical fracture toughness values under different current densities. Results: The physics-based equilibrium smoothing method demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing the accuracy of DIC measurements. The electrochemical fracture toughness obtained was substantially lower than the mechanical fracture toughness of the same material determined through indentation, attributed to combined effects of electrochemical embrittlement and a transition in fracture mode from intergranular to transgranular. Conclusion: The discrepancy between the two types of fracture toughness suggests that electrochemical cycling could have a significant impact on the fracture mode and resistance of a solid electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ball burnishing (BB) is a surface finishing process that involves moving the tool while pressing it against the workpiece under rolling contact. We investigated the effects of BB on the fatigue strength of an aluminum alloy with a semicircular slit simulating an initial surface defect. After performing BB under a typical condition, compressive residual stress was induced to a depth of 0.4 mm, with a reduction in surface roughness by 81%. Consequently, the fatigue strength increased by 22%. BB prevented the fatigue strength reduction caused by the 0.1 mm deep slit. The result indicated that BB could render the below 0.1 mm deep surface defect harmless in terms of fatigue strength. The maximum depth of surface defect that can be rendered harmless is 0.18 mm according to fracture mechanics, which is in agreement with the experimental results. Highlights: Ball burnishing (BB) can introduce large compressive residual stress along with smoothing.BB can render a 0.1 mm deep slit harmless in terms of fatigue strength.Defect size rendered harmless can be estimated based on fracture mechanics.Compressive residual stress is the main factor rendering the surface defect harmless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prediction accuracy of ductile damage models is subject to a sound calibration strategy, which normally involves the execution of complex multiaxial tests and requires dedicated facilities. In addition, finite element (FE) analysis is mandatory to retrieve the stress and strain states at the critical point, which cannot be directly measured from experiments. To overcome this complexity, a minimal set of simple multiaxial tests is selected, and an analytical‐numerical approach is proposed to evaluate, without resorting to FE, both the stress evolution with plastic deformation and the fracture strain, under any different loading condition of each test. This is achieved from the sole knowledge of the material bilinear stress–strain relation and of the applied test displacement at fracture. The obtained results are compared with a traditional testing and calibration methodology, and the robustness of the approach is proved on a 17‐4PH steel, an X65 steel, and a Ti6Al4V alloy. Highlights: Ductile damage models are calibrated by an analytical approach based on multiaxial tests.Local stress and strain in tests can be calculated from experiments without resort to FEM.Uniaxial and different shear‐tension stress states are investigated.The method works on a wide range of alloys; only test displacement at failure is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roadways are common in infrastructure of the underground engineering. The surrounding rocks of these roadways are often allowed to work with flaws and are subjected to cyclic loading with variable magnitude. However, the existing experimental data regarding their behavior are insufficient. This study investigated how confining pressure and the inclination of pre‐existing fissures affect the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of sandstones from the Lu‐Xi coal roadway in Shandong Province. Utilizing triaxial cyclic experiments along with real‐time acoustic emission (AE) monitoring, the findings were presented with respect to the evolution of strength as well as deformation behaviors, failure modes, and AE event frequency. Finally, the impact of the above two factors on damage mechanisms of preflawed sandstone materials were detailed discussed in terms of the fracture mechanics. This study highlights the importance the buried depth and flaws for the rock engineering and the sensitivity of sandstone's mechanical responses in changes in the lateral restriction and fissure angle. Highlights: Fatigue properties of fractured sandstone were investigated under cyclic loading.Mechanical parameter dropped and then rose as angle between intersecting flaw increased.The fatigue damage evolution of fractured sandstone was analyzed by AE parameters.The effect of flaw angle on mechanical behavior was explained by fracture mechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the enhancement of fracture behavior in laminated composites using a combination of surface treatments and nanomaterial incorporation. The adherent material used is glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP), and the surface treatment was applied to the GFRP surface. The adhesive used in the joints is an epoxy-based adhesive, which was reinforced with Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) to improve its mechanical properties. Initially, mechanical sanding techniques were explored, revealing significant improvements of 55% in fracture energy and 38% in load-bearing capacity with optimal 240-grit sanding. Subsequently, MWCNTs were introduced at varying weight percentages (0.1%, 0.3%, and 0.5%) into the adhesive. This combined approach aimed to synergistically examine the impact of surface pretreatments and nanoparticle integration on the fracture behavior of the GFRP joints. Results highlight the potential for fracture resistance and enhanced load-carrying capabilities in reinforced specimens, with maximum load and fracture energy improvements of up to 92% and 50%, respectively, compared to unreinforced specimens and those subjected solely to sanding treatments. Moreover, the shift in failure mode from adhesive failure to cohesive substrate failure was observed and is attributed to the enhanced bonding area created by the 240-grit sanding and the increased fracture resistance from the incorporation of 0.3 wt% MWCNTs. The inclusion of MWCNTs provides additional toughening mechanisms such as crack bridging and pull-out, which significantly increase the fracture energy. This comprehensive investigation underscores the intricate interplay between mechanical preparation and nanomaterial incorporation in significantly improving the performance of laminated composites.Highlights: Synergistic effect of optimal surface preparation and MWCNT incorporation on GFRP joints. Improvements of up to 92% in maximum load and 50% in fracture energy with 0.3 wt% MWCNTs in epoxy adhesive and 240-grit sanding. Shift from adhesive failure to cohesive substrate failure due to combined surface sanding and MWCNT reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the roads constructed in the early days have entered the phase of repair and maintenance, leading to an accumulation of large stockpiles of recycled asphalt pavement material (RAP) and posing significant challenges for environmentally sound disposal. Moreover, the low rate of reuse of RAP contributes to the excessive waste of pavement materials. This study focuses on the use of RAP in recycled cement-stabilized aggregates as the primary research subject. Proportion designs for RAP and the base course with inorganic recycled aggregates (RAI) are conducted at ratios of 1:1 (1# recycled base), 1:2 (2# recycled base), and 1:4 (3# recycled base), respectively. Subsequently, mechanical parameters are tested. Using ABAQUS software, a structural model of the reclaimed base course with cement-stabilized aggregate is created. The mechanical properties of the reclaimed base course with varying amounts of cement are analyzed under the influence of dynamic vehicle loading, taking into consideration the potential for cracking at the tip of the base course. The results indicate that under dynamic loading, the vertical stress of the recycled subgrade with 4% cement is significantly better than that of the recycled subgrade with 5% and 6% cement. Among the various recycled base cement, the 4% recycled base exhibits superior shear resistance and the lowest peak horizontal stress at the crack tip, making it less prone to cracking. In terms of vertical strain, shear strain, and horizontal strain of the recycled base layer with different cement dosages for 1# under dynamic load, the strain gradually increases as the distance between the dynamic load and the crack tip of the recycled base layer decreases, reaching the maximum value at the top of the crack tip. The sensitivity of vertical, shear, and horizontal strains at the crack tip to dynamic vehicle loading increases with the cement dosage, with larger strains occurring at a cement dosage of 6%. Therefore, while increasing the amount of cement does not effectively enhance strain at the crack tip, reasonable control of the cement amount can improve the integrity of the base course and reduce crack expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fracture in ductile materials often occurs in conjunction with plastic deformation. However, in the bond-based peridynamic (BB-PD) theory, the classic mechanical stress is not defined inherently. This makes it difficult to describe plasticity directly using the classical plastic theory. To address the above issue, a unified bond-based peridynamics model was proposed as an effective tool to solve elastoplastic fracture problems. Compared to the existing models, the proposed model directly describes the elastoplastic theory at the bond level without the need for additional calculation means. The results obtained in the context of this model are shown to be consistent with FEM results in regard to force-displacement curves, displacement fields, stress fields, and plastic deformation regions. The model exhibits good capability of capturing crack propagation in ductile material failure problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delamination of encapsulants in photovoltaic (PV) modules is a common issue that leads to power loss due to optical losses. Encapsulant debonding is usually examined under monotonic loading conditions subsequent to environmental exposure such as damp heat. Service‐relevant, superimposed environmental‐mechanical fatigue loads are not considered adequately. Hence, the environmental fatigue delamination resistance of thermally toughened double glass laminates with an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) adhesive layer was investigated in this study. Focus was given to the melting range of EVA, in which the non‐crosslinked crystalline phase fraction is already in the partly molten state. Double cantilever beam specimens were tested on an electrodynamic test machine at temperatures of 60, 70, 80, and 90°C and relative humidity (rh) levels of 2%, 30%, 50%, and 80%. The fractured surfaces were characterized by digital microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The cyclic fatigue tests revealed a decay in delamination resistance at elevated temperature and humidity levels. At 70°C, the delamination resistance was low, regardless of the relative humidity. Most of the laminates failed by debonding. XPS analysis showed a reduction of the C=O and C–O content, along with an increase in Si–O content with increasing relative humidity. For laminates tested at 60 and 70°C, an EVA recrystallization peak was observed in DSC experiments. This peak was shifted to significantly higher temperatures at 80% rh. XPS and DSC indicated local hydrolysis within the porous fracture process zone ahead of the crack tip. Consequently, acetic acid formation led to a decrease in delamination resistance, resulting in lower fatigue threshold values. The investigations confirmed the significant impact of environmental conditions on the fatigue delamination resistance within glass/encapsulant laminates. Notably, acetic acid formation and a significant reduction in delamination properties were observed after around 100 h of environmental fatigue exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, dynamically propagating cracks in anisotropic plates exposed to a generalised thermal shock are investigated. Here, the governing equations are considered according to the Lord-Shulman (LS) model as a fully coupled generalised thermoelasticity theory. The crack is modelled in the context of the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM). To evaluate Stress Intensity Factors (SIFs), a technique based on the J integral and crack tip opening and sliding displacements, previously applied for stationary cracks, is developed for a dynamically propagating crack in orthotropic solids. Besides, a variety of functions for enriching the displacement field are derived relying on the behaviour near the tip of a dynamically propagating crack in anisotropic materials. The maximum hoop stress criterion is also modified by using the asymptotic stress field for a dynamically propagating crack. In addition, the effect of the angular variation of fracture toughness in orthotropic materials is accounted in computing the crack propagation speed. In some examples, dynamic crack growth in complex cracked orthotropic structures subjected to LS thermal shock is studied in detail. The impacts of fibre orientations and LS relaxation time are also investigated in these examples. In conclusion, applying non-Fourier thermal shock for modelling dynamically propagating cracks in orthotropic structures is recommended to obtain more realistic results. In addition, by increasing the LS relaxation time, the crack grows less oscillatory and is more aligned along the material fibres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To theoretically analyse how void swelling and spatial heterogeneity impact the fracture behaviour of metallic materials, a coupled porous crystal plasticity framework has been developed. The proposed framework is then applied to analyse the fracture behaviour of metallic materials under different swelling conditions and types of spatial heterogeneity. It is revealed that at low porosity, the spatial heterogeneity of voids will have limited influence on the fracture behaviour of the material. However, at high porosity, owing to void swelling, a concentrated distribution of voids near grain boundaries can lead to a strong deformation localization, which can be seen as an indicator of possible quasi-brittle fracture. It is further discovered that the inner pressure of the voids tends to reduce the yield stress of the material and promote localized plastic deformation. As a result, such pressure will enhance the impact of concentrated distribution of voids, which can lead to further embrittlement of the material. The present study reveals the key role of void swelling and spatial heterogeneity in regulating the fracture behaviour of metallic materials, a step towards a better understanding over the failure mechanisms of metallic materials under extreme conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, five fracture criteria (maximum tangential stress (MTS), generalized maximum tangential stress (GMTS), minimum strain energy density (SED), generalized minimum strain energy density (GSED), and modified maximum tangential stress (MMTS)) were evaluated for asphalt concrete using fracture data from tests conducted under various loading modes and conditions. Tests were performed on semi‐circular bend (SCB) specimens of various sizes. Based on the results, the MTS criterion tends to overestimate fractures, while the GMTS criterion exhibits more precise predictions. The SED and GSED criteria inaccurately predict fractures, especially under certain loading conditions. The MMTS criterion shows superior predictive capability for asphalt concrete fractures. Specimen size influences fracture resistance, with larger specimens exhibiting higher fracture values. Overall, the MMTS criterion closely mirrors the crack growth behavior of asphalt concrete, highlighting its precision in predicting fracture results. The errors between the predictions of the fracture criteria MTS, GMTS, SED, GSED, and MMTS, and the experimental results ranged from 0% to 42.8%, 0% to 22.5%, 0% to 52.7%, 0% to 42.4%, and 0% to 14.5%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the creep behavior, damage evolution, and failure probability of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with three different flow channel geometries—rectangular, round trapezoidal, and arched—under non-uniform temperature conditions over a 60,000 h operational period. A strain-based creep damage and failure probability model was developed to analyze the stress-strain distribution, creep damage evolution, and failure probability development inside the SOFC components. Results indicate a significant influence of SOFC channel geometry on stress relaxation. The three channel SOFC, rectangular, round trapezoidal, and arched, reach the damage threshold after 57,062 h, 43,577 h, and 49,560 h of operation, respectively, with crack initiation occurring near the inlet and outlet of the upper interconnector. The anode material exhibited the highest probability of failure, increasing by 116.3% and 36.4% for the transition from rectangular to round trapezoidal and arch-shaped gas channels, respectively. This study underscores the advantages of SOFC with rectangular channels in terms of mechanical stability and longevity, providing crucial insights for optimizing SOFC design and enhancing commercial viability. • Derivation of the non uniform temperature fields of different channel SOFCs. • Comparison of vulnerable locations in different channel SOFC components. • Evolution of creep damage in different channel SOFCs during 60 000 h of operation. • Study on the failure probability of different channel SOFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron irradiation causes embrittlement of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels. Post-irradiation annealing is capable of partly or fully restoring the unembrittled condition. While annealing at high temperatures (e.g., 475°C) was successfully applied to extend the lifetime of operating VVER-440 reactors, the benefit of annealing at lower temperatures (e.g., 343°C-the maximum to which the primary cooling water can be heated) is a matter of debate. In this study, neutron-irradiated VVER-440 RPV base metal and weld were exposed to isothermal annealing at 343°C up to 2,000 h. Given the limited amount of material, the degree of recovery was estimated in terms of Vickers hardness, the ductile-brittle transition temperature derived from small punch tests, and the master curve reference temperature derived from fracture mechanics tests of mini samples. For the base metal, small-angle neutron scattering was applied to underpin the findings at the nm-scale. We have found significant partial recovery in both materials after annealing for 300 h or longer. The variations of the degree of recovery are critically discussed and put into the context of wet annealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diverse applications of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) drive efforts to understand consistent performance and resistance to failure. Stress relaxation can lead to molecular chain deterioration, degradation in stiffness and rheological properties, and ultimately affect the life cycle of MRE. However, quantifying the energy and molecular dynamics during stress relaxation is challenging due to the difficulty of obtaining atomic-level insights experimentally. This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to elucidate the stress relaxation in MRE during constant strain. Magnetorheological elastomer models incorporating silicone rubber filled with varying magnetic iron particles (50–80 wt%) were constructed. Experimental results from an oscillatory shear rheometer showed the linear viscoelastic region of MRE to be within 0.001–0.01% strain. The simulation results indicated that stress relaxation has occurred, with stored energies decreased by 8.63–52.7% in all MRE models. Monitoring changes in energy components, the highest final stored energy (12,045 kJ) of the MRE model with 80 wt% Fe particles was primarily attributed to stronger intramolecular and intermolecular interactions, revealed by higher potential energy (3262 kJ) and van der Waals energy (− 2717.29 kJ). Stress relaxation also altered the molecular dynamics of this MRE model as evidenced by a decrease in kinetic energy (9362 kJ) and mean square displacement value (20,318 Å2). The MD simulation provides a promising quantitative tool for elucidating stress relaxation, preventing material failure and offering insights for the design of MRE in the nanotechnology industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computational framework of anisotropic phase field model is used to investigate the effects of effective critical energy release rate, interface property, and hole shape on the failure of composite material in this paper. This model is implemented in ABAQUS using a user‐defined element (UEL). First of all, the model is validated through a benchmark model. Second, the effective critical energy release rate is introduced, which can improve the accuracy of the simulation result. Then, the influence of strong and weak interfaces on the failure of composite material is studied. It can be found that the interface properties can change the evolution mode of crack and the final load–displacement response. Finally, the effect of hole shapes on the failure of the composite material is also explored, which shows that the bearing capacity of model can be improved by changing the shape of the hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the use of non-smooth variational methods in a wide range of applications, particularly in fields that involve partial differential equations. The authors focus on nonlinear problems in solid and fluid mechanics, as well as inverse and optimal control problems. They aim to develop non-standard analysis and effective numerical methods for solving these problems. The article also highlights the contributions of various authors from different countries and discusses the physical applications of non-smooth variational methods in areas such as elastic and inelastic solids, heat transfer, and fracture mechanics. [Extracted from the article]

We investigate a physical characterization of the gradient flow structure of variational fracture models for brittle materials: a Griffith-type fracture model and an irreversible fracture phase field model. We derive the Griffith-type fracture model by assuming that the fracture energy in Griffith's theory is an increasing function of the crack tip velocity. Such a velocity dependence of the fracture energy is typically observed in polymers. We also prove an energy dissipation identity of the Griffith-type fracture model, in other words, its gradient flow structure. On the other hand, the irreversible fracture phase field model is derived as a unidirectional gradient flow of a regularized total energy. We have considered the time relaxation parameter a mathematical approximation parameter, which we should choose as small as possible. In this research, however, we reveal the physical origin of the gradient flow structure of the fracture phase field model (F-PFM) and show that the small time relaxation parameter is characterized as the rate of velocity dependence of the fracture energy. It is verified by comparing the energy dissipation properties of those two models and by analysing a travelling wave solution of the irreversible F-PFM. This article is part of the theme issue 'Non-smooth variational problems with applications in mechanics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The occurrence of hydrogen embrittlement often leads to significant fracturing in materials. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the interactions of hydrogen and its effects on material properties is essential. In this study, first‐principle calculations based on density functional theory are conducted to investigate the adsorption and diffusion characteristics of hydrogen at the Ni/Ni3Al(γ/γ') interface of a Ni‐based single‐crystal superalloy. The results show that hydrogen can stably adsorb onto the γ/γ′ interface, nearby octahedral interstitial sites, and tetrahedral interstitial sites in the γ‐phase. Analysis of the density of states and charge density confirms that the hydrogen atoms formed covalent bonds and ionic bonds with nearby Al atoms. A transition state structure search based on linear synchronous transit (LST) and quadratic synchronous transit (QST) models is utilized to calculate the diffusion paths and energy barriers of the hydrogen atoms between the stable adsorption sites near the interface. In addition, the permeation characteristics of hydrogen atoms at the interface are analyzed. Furthermore, it is confirmed that hydrogen atoms entering the matrix from the interface preferentially occupy the positions of the regular octahedral interstitial sites, diffuse towards adjacent regular 6Ni octahedral interstitial sites through the inclined octahedral interstitial sites between the atomic layers, and converge at the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSteel tubular structures in pipelines, or those connections such as concentric reductions, reduced tees, and elbows, all differ in their response to loading, they are sometimes solicited to complex and combined loads, which accumulate with the internal pressure to their solicitation cause in certain situation their damage, the objective in this analysis is to numerically predict the mechanical behavior until damage of a complete tubular structure, which contains the connecting elements of an elbow and a reduced tee attached to each other by straight tubular parts, this structure, by its standardized dimensions presents a real design of a main pipeline spigot for a possible supply line, this tubular structure is analyzed in this work under these real pressure conditions, and combined loads probably coming from the weight of a valve, or a pipe flanged to this spigot element or other, in X60 steel This structure is solicited under different combined modes of loading. The elastic-plastic behavior is under Voce’s model and Von Mises’ equivalent stress flow theory, the damage of the structure by crack initiation and propagation is ensured by using the XFEM technique, the response up to damage of the structure is evaluated under the effect of the parameters of the combined loading mode, we present by angular bendingrotation moment curves that these parameters clearly condition the response and the level of damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) for structural elements' strengthening and rehabilitation are increasingly gaining popularity because of their proven efficiency and ease of application. The response of the adhesive joint formed between the FRP and concrete is a crucial factor influencing the overall behavior of FRP structures. The analysis of the interface crack propagation is a complex task involving the consideration of multiple interacting mechanisms. This work aims to provide a background to a recently proposed model that analyzes the behavior of the adhesive joint formed at the interface between the FRP and concrete, by creating its counterpart. The study presented herein discusses a model based on fracture mechanics to obtain a reference point needed to assess the output provided by an algorithm utilizing a damage-based model for concrete and an empirical-based procedure for the loss of bond action. Typically, model validation is performed via a comparison against experimental data. However, additional insights into the interacting phenomena can be provided by comparing the results of various applicable models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrodeposited chromium plating continues to be widely used in a number of specialized areas, such as weapons, transport, aerospace, etc. However, the formation of texture, hydrogen content and residual stress can degrade the serviceability and lead to material failure. The effect of post heat treatment processes on the relationship of texture, hydrogen content, residual stress and corrosion resistance of hexavalent [Cr(VI)] chromium coatings deposited on Cr–Ni–Mo–V steel substrates was investigated. Macrotexture was measured by XRD. Microtexture, dislocation density and grain size were studied by EBSD. With the increase of the heat treatment temperature, it was found that the fiber texture strength of the (222) plane tended to increase and subsequently decrease. Below 600 °C, the increase in the (222) plane texture carried a decrease in the hydrogen content, residual stress, microhardness and an increase in the corrosion resistance. In addition, crack density and texture strength were less affected by the heat treatment time. Notably, relatively fewer crack densities of 219/cm2, a lower corrosion current density of 1.798 × 10−6 A/dm2 and a higher microhardness of 865 HV were found under the preferred heat treatment temperature and time of 380 °C and 4 h, respectively. The hydrogen content and residual stress were 7.63 ppm and 61 MPa, with 86% and 75% reduction rates compared to the as-plated state, respectively. In conclusion, in our future judgement of the influence of heat treatment on coating properties, we can screen or determine to a certain extent whether the heat treatment process is reasonable or not by measuring only the macrotexture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock materials failures are accompanied by the co-existence of various failure mechanisms, including rock fracturing, shearing, and compaction yield. These mechanisms manifest macroscopically as multiple failure modes and nonlinear strength characteristics related to stress levels. Considering the limitations of current rock mechanics strength theories, which are primarily derived from single failure mechanisms, this study evaluates the applicability of alternative strength theories. Based on the extensional-strain criterion and the PMC (Paul-Mohr-Coulomb) model, a piecewise linear strength model was proposed that is suitable for analyzing multiple failure mechanisms in rocks, revealing the intrinsic mechanisms of multi-mechanism rock material failure. A multiple failure mechanism strength model in the form of inequalities was proposed, using the generalized shear stress, mean stress, and stress Lode angle as parameters. Strength tests conducted on sandstone and granite rock material samples under different stress conditions revealed distinct piecewise linear strength characteristics for both rock types, validating the rationality and applicability of the multiple failure mechanism model. The findings construct a multi-mechanism failure model for rocks, providing enhanced predictive capabilities and aiding in the prevention of rock structural failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material extrusion (MEX) additive manufacturing has successfully fabricated assembly-free structures composed of different materials processed in the same manufacturing cycle. Materials with different mechanical properties can be employed for the fabrication of bio-inspired structures (i.e., stiff materials connected to soft materials), which are appealing for many fields, such as bio-medical and soft robotics. In the present paper, process parameters and 3D printing strategies are presented to improve the interfacial adhesion between carbon fiber-reinforced nylon (CFPA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), which are extruded in the same manufacturing cycle using a multi-material MEX setup. To achieve our goal, a double cantilever beam (DCB) test was used to evaluate the mode I fracture toughness. The results show that the application of a heating gun (assembled near the nozzle) provides a statistically significant increase in mean fracture toughness energy from 12.3 kJ/m2 to 33.4 kJ/m2. The underlying mechanism driving this finding was further investigated by quantifying porosity at the multi-material interface using an X-ray computed tomography (CT) system, in addition to quantifying thermal history. The results show that using both bead ironing and the hot air gun during the printing process leads to a reduction of 24% in the average void volume fraction. The findings from the DCB test and X-ray CT analysis agree well with the polymer healing theory, in which an increased thermal history led to an increased fracture toughness at the multi-material interface. Moreover, this study considers the thermal history of each printed layer to correlate the measured debonding energy with results obtained using the reptation theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of computer simulations of fracture in three laboratory tests: the three-point bending of a notched beam cut from sandstone, the pull-out test of a self-undercutting anchor fixed in sandstone, and the pull-out test of a bar embedded in concrete. Five material failure criteria were used: Rankine, Coulomb–Mohr, Drucker–Prager, Ottosen–Podgórski, and Hoek–Brown. These criteria were implemented in the Abaqus® FEA system to work with the crack propagation modeling method—extended finite element method (X-FEM). All criteria yielded similar force–displacement relationships and similar crack path shapes. The improved procedure gives significantly better, close-to-real crack propagation paths than can be obtained using the standard subroutines built into the Abaqus® system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrusion-based printing of cementitious materials represents an innovative technology in civil engineering. The additive manufacturing process significantly influences the material properties in the hardened state, leading to anisotropic behaviour in terms of stiffness and strength compared to conventionally cast concrete. This experimental study aims to deepen the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of hardened printed concrete. Beam-like specimens with varying printing patterns, loading orientations and lengths are investigated within three-point bending tests (3PBT) and uniaxial compression tests (UCT). Homogenized material parameters such as Young's modulus, compressive and flexural tensile strength and density are statistically evaluated using optically measured displacement and strain fields on the specimen surface. The qualitative and quantitative results demonstrate a strong dependency of material properties and failure mechanisms on the printing pattern. The interfilamental and interlayer areas with weak adhesion are identified as the main reason for anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitriding is a cost-effective method to realize simultaneous improvements in tensile and fatigue properties and resistance to abrasion and corrosion. Previous studies reported that nitriding pure Fe enhances tensile strength by ~ 70% and fatigue limit by ~ 200%. It is due to the increase in surface hardness caused by the formation of γ′(Fe4N) and ε(Fe2-3N) nitrogen-containing intermetallic compound phases. However, the intermetallic compound layer is prone to brittle-like cracking. To better design nitrided steels, it is crucial to identify the crack growth mechanisms via analysis of the microstructural crack growth paths within the ~ 4–6 µm thick nitride layer. In the current work, we statistically evaluate the crack propagation behavior in the γ′ Fe4N layer during monotonic and cyclic tensile deformation in nitrided low-carbon steel (0.1 wt% C). Since nitriding typically results in the formation of columnar grains, the effect of morphology needs to be clarified. To this end, the steel was shot-peened and subsequently nitrided to promote equiaxed nitride grains morphology (~ 16% increase). Crack growth paths were comparatively evaluated for multiple cracks, and no significant effect of nitride morphology was observed. {100}γ′ is the predominant transgranular crack path in the monotonic tensile tested specimen, followed by {111}γ′. It is despite the elastic modulus of {111}γ′ < {100}γ′. This contrary behavior is explained by {100}γ′ plane having the lowest surface energy (density functional theory calculations). In the cyclic tensile loaded specimen, experiments revealed that transgranular cracking along {100}γ′ (cracking via symmetric dislocation emission) or {111}γ′ (slip plane cracking) is equally likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]