J. Zidek¹ , J. Kucera¹, J. Jancar¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 51-74, 2010, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2010.016.051

Abstract It has been shown that in particulate filled composites, a cross-property relationship exists between various transport properties (e.g., electrical conductivity, mechanical reinforcement, gas permeation) of a macroscale composite. Thus, knowledge of the effective mechanical properties of a composite immediately places bounds on its electrical conductivity or gas permeation behavior. Using these bounds allows us to predict the phase dispersion state that optimizes one or multiple properties of the composite and, thus, the knowledge of how spatial arrangement of filler particles at their given content affects physical properties of the composite can be valuable. In this paper, a new numerical model… More >

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 >

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 >

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 >

Xiaohua Hu¹, Gordana A. Cingara¹, David S. Wilkinson¹, Mukesh Jain², PeidongWu², Raja K. Mishra³

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 99-124, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.099

Abstract This work aims to understand the texture distribution in the localized necking band formed during uni-axial tension of AA5754 using an edge-constrained, plane strain post-necking FE model. The model domain is a long cross section of the band. Initial grain structure is mapped into the mesh from EBSD data using a modified Voroni-cell interpolation and considering pre-straining prior to localized necking. The material points in grains are assumed to exhibit isotropic elastoplastic behavior but have a relative strength in terms of Taylor factors which are updated by a Taylor-Bishop-Hill model. The predicted textures and gradients within the localized necking band… More >

Stephen R. Niezgoda¹, Surya R. Kalidindi^1,2

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.14, No.2, pp. 79-98, 2009, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2009.014.079

Abstract The generalized Hough transform is a common technique for feature detection in image processing. In this paper, we develop a size invariant Hough framework for the detection of arbitrary shapes in three dimensional digital microstructure datasets. The Hough transform is efficiently implemented via kernel convolution with complex Hough filters, where shape is captured in the magnitude of the filter and scale in the complex phase. In this paper, we further generalize the concept of a Hough filter by encoding other parameters of interest (e.g. orientation of plate or fiber constituents) in the complex phase, broadening the applicability of Hough transform… More >