Hamad F. Al-Harbi¹, Marko Knezevic^1,2, Surya R. Kalidindi^1,3

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 153-172, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.153

Abstract In recent work, we have demonstrated the viability and computational advantages of DFT-based spectral databases for facilitating crystal plasticity solutions in face-centered cubic (fcc) metals subjected to arbitrary deformation paths. In this paper, we extend and validate the application of these novel ideas to body-centered cubic (bcc) metals that exhibit a much larger number of potential slip systems. It was observed that the databases for the bcc metals with a larger number of slip systems were more compact compared to those obtained previously for fcc metals with a smaller number of slip systems. Furthermore, we demonstrate in this paper that… More >

Dustin D. Gerrard¹, David T. Fullwood¹, Denise M. Halverson², Stephen R. Niezgoda³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 129-152, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.129

Abstract The effective properties of composite materials are often strongly related to the connectivity of the material components. Many structure metrics, and related homogenization theories, do not effectively account for this connectivity. In this paper, relationships between the topology, represented via homology theory, and the effective elastic response of composite plates is investigated. The study is presented in the context of popular structure metrics such as percolation theory and correlation functions. More >

Oliver K. Johnson¹, Calvin J. Gardner¹, David T. Fullwood¹, Brent L.Adams¹, Nathan Hansen², George Hansen²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.2, pp. 87-112, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.087

Abstract A novel nickel nanostrand-silicone composite material at an optimized 15 vol% filler concentration demonstrates a dramatic piezoresistive effect with a negative gauge factor (ratio of percent change in resistivity to strain). The composite volume resistivity decreases in excess of three orders of magnitude at a 60% strain. The piezoresistivity does decrease slightly as a function of cycles, but not significantly as a function of time. The material's resistivity is also temperature dependent, once again with a negative dependence.
The evidence indicates that nickel strands are physically separated by matrix material even at high volume fractions, and points to a charge… More >

Chih-Wen Chang¹, Chein-Shan Liu², Jiang-Ren Chang³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 45-66, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.015.045

Abstract In this article, we propose a semi-analytical method to tackle the two-dimensional backward heat conduction problem (BHCP) by using a quasi-boundary idea. First, the Fourier series expansion technique is employed to calculate the temperature field u(x, y, t) at any time t < T. Second, we consider a direct regularization by adding an extra termau(x, y, 0) to reach a second-kind Fredholm integral equation for u(x, y, 0). The termwise separable property of the kernel function permits us to obtain a closed-form regularized solution. Besides, a strategy to choose the regularization parameter is suggested. When several numerical examples were tested,… More >

C.M. Hefferan¹, S.F. Li¹, J. Lind¹, U. Lienert², A.D. Rollett³, P. Wynblatt³, R.M. Suter^1,3

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 209-220, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.209

Abstract We have measured and reconstructed via forward modeling a small volume of microstructure of high purity, well annealed nickel using high energy x-ray diffraction microscopy (HEDM). Statistical distributions characterizing grain orientations, intra-granular misorientations, and nearest neighbor grain misorientations are extracted. Results are consistent with recent electron backscatter diffraction measurements. Peaks in the grain neighbor misorientation angle distribution at 60 degrees (∑3) and 39 degrees (∑9) have resolution limited widths of ≈ 0.14 degree FWHM. The analysis demonstrates that HEDM can recover grain and grain boundary statistics comparable to OIM volume measurements; more extensive data sets will lead to full, five… More >

Y.B. Zhang¹, A. Godfrey², D. Juul Jensen¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 197-208, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.197

Abstract Two methods to quantify protrusions/retrusions and to estimate local boundary curvature from sample plane sections are proposed. The methods are used to evaluate the driving force due to curvature of the protrusions/retrusions for partially recrystallized pure nickel cold rolled to 96% reduction in thickness. The results reveal that the values calculated by both these methods are reasonable when compared with the stored energy measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The relationship between protrusions and the average stored energy density in the deformed matrix is also investigated for partially recrystallized pure aluminum cold rolled to 50%. The results show that the local… More >

Brent L. Adams, Joshua Kacher

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 185-196, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.185

Abstract Consideration is given to the resolution of dislocation density afforded by EBSD-based scanning electron microscopy. Comparison between the conventional Hough- and the emerging high-resolution cross-correlation-based approaches is made. It is illustrated that considerable care must be exercised in selecting a step size (Burger's circuit size) for experimental measurements. Important variables affecting this selection include the dislocation density and the physical size and density of dislocation dipole and multi-pole components of the structure. It is also illustrated that simulations can be useful to the interpretation of experimental recoveries. More >

D.P. Field¹, L. Behrens², J.M. Root¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 171-184, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.171

Abstract Mechanical properties of polycrystalline metals are dependent upon the arrangement of microstructural features in the metal. Recrystallization is an important phenomenon that often occurs during thermo-mechanical processing of metals. This work focuses upon aluminum alloy 7050 and uses crystallographic texture and pair correlation functions of recrystallized grains to characterize the dominance of particle stimulated nucleation in the recrystallization process. The randomization of the recrystallization texture and similar pair correlation functions for the particle distribution and the recrystallization nuclei distribution indicate that particle stimulated nucleation controls the recrystallization behavior in this alloy. More >

S.Ahmadi¹, B.L.Adams¹ , D.T.Fullwood¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 141-170, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.141

Abstract In this paper, a model is introduced to examine the evolution of the microstructure function under plastic deformations. This model is based upon a double continuity relationship that conserves both material particles in the mass space and orientations in the orientation space. An Eulerian description of the motion of material particles and orientations is considered, and continuity relations are derived for both spaces. To show how the proposed model works, two different case studies are provided. In the mass space, the continuity relation is used to examine the evolution of the microstructure function of a two-phase (isotropic) material; while, in… More >

M.A.Arafin¹, J.A.Szpunar²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 125-140, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.125

Abstract A novel microstructure, texture and grain boundary character based model has been proposed to simulate the intergranular crack propagation behavior in textured polycrystalline materials. The model utilizes the Voronoi algorithm and Monte Carlo simulations to construct the microstructure with desired grain shape factor, takes the texture description of the materials to assign the orientations of the grains, evaluates the grain boundary character based on the misorientation angle - axis calculated from the orientations of the neighboring grains, and takes into account the inclination of grain boundaries with respect to the external stress direction. Markov Chain theory has been applied to… More >