Modeling Brittle Fractures in Epoxy Nanocomposites Using Extended Finite Element and Cohesive Zone Surface Methods

Linear elastic fracture modeling coupled with empirical material tensile data result in good quantitative agreement with the experimental determination of mode I fracture for both brittle and toughened epoxy nanocomposites. The nanocomposites are comprised of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A cured with Jeffamine D-230 and some were filled with core-shell rubber nanoparticles of varying concentrations. The quasi-static single-edge notched bending (SENB) test is modeled using both the surface-based cohesive zone (CZS) and extended finite element methods (XFEM) implemented in the Abaqus software. For each material considered, the critical load predicted by the simulated SENB test is used to calculate the mode I fracture toughness. Damage initiates in these models when nodes at the simulated crack tip attain the experimentally measured yield stress. Prediction of fracture processes using a generalized truncated linear traction–separation law (TSL) was significantly improved by considering the case of a linear softening function. There are no adjustable parameters in the XFEM model. The CZS model requires only optimization of the element displacement at the fracture parameter. Thus, these continuum methods describe these materials in mode I fracture with a minimum number of independent parameters.

Modeling Brittle Fracture in Epoxy Nanocomposites using Extended Finite Element and Cohesive Zone Surface Methods

Linear elastic fracture modeling coupled with empirical material tension data result in good quantitative agreement with experimental measurements of fracture failure for both brittle and tough epoxy nanocomposites. The nanocomposites comprise diglycidyl ethers of bisphenol A cured with O,O’ bis (2-aminopropylpropylene glycol) (Jeffamine D230) and doped with rubber nanoparticles of varying concentrations. Toughness, critical load, and critical displacement in quasi-static single edge-notched three-point bending are predicted accurately using both surface-based cohesive zone (CZS) and extended finite element (XFEM) methods implemented in Abaqus software. Fracture initiation within a crack is taken at the yield stress from uniaxial tension data. Prediction of fracture processes using a generalized truncated linear traction-separation law was significantly improved by considering the case of a linear softening function. There are no adjustable parameters in the XFEM model. The CZS model requires only optimization of the element displacement at fracture parameter. Thus, these continuum methods describe these materials in mode I fracture with a minimum number of independent parameters.

Fracture and Size Effect of PFRC Specimens Simulated by Using a Trilinear Softening Diagram: A Predictive Approach

The size effect on plain concrete specimens is well known and can be correctly captured when performing numerical simulations by using a well characterised softening function. Nevertheless, in the case of polyolefin-fibre-reinforced concrete (PFRC), this is not directly applicable, since using only diagram cannot capture the material behaviour on elements with different sizes due to dependence of the orientation factor of the fibres with the size of the specimen. In previous works, the use of a trilinear softening diagram proved to be very convenient for reproducing fracture of polyolefin-fibre-reinforced concrete elements, but only if it is previously adapted for each specimen size. In this work, a predictive methodology is used to reproduce fracture of polyolefin-fibre-reinforced concrete specimens of different sizes under three-point bending. Fracture is reproduced by means of a well-known embedded cohesive model, with a trilinear softening function that is defined specifically for each specimen size. The fundamental points of these softening functions are defined a priori by using empirical expressions proposed in past works, based on an extensive experimental background. Therefore, the numerical results are obtained in a predictive manner and then compared with a previous experimental campaign in which PFRC notched specimens of different sizes were tested with a three-point bending test setup, showing that this approach properly captures the size effect, although some values of the fundamental points in the trilinear diagram could be defined more accurately.

Fracture and size effect of PFRC specimens simulated by using a trilinear softening diagram: a predictive approach

Size effect on plain concrete specimens is well known and can be correctly captured when performing numerical simulations by using a well characterised softening function, but in the case of fibre reinforced concrete this is not directly applicable, since an only diagram cannot capture the material behaviour on elements with different size due to dependence of the orientation factor of the fibres with the size of the specimen. In previous works, the use of a trilinear softening diagram proved to be very convenient for reproducing fracture of polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete elements, but only if it is previously adapted for each specimen size. In this work, a predictive methodology is used to reproduce fracture of polyolefin fibre reinforced concrete specimens of different sizes under three-point bending. Fracture is reproduced by means of a well known embedded cohesive model, with a trilinear softening function that is defined specifically for each specimen size. The fundamental points of these softening functions are defined a priori by using empirical expressions proposed in past works, based on an extensive experimental background. Therefore, the numerical results are obtained in a predictive manner, and then compared with a previous experimental campaign, showing that this approach properly captures the size effect, although some values of the fundamental points in the trilinear diagram could be defined more accurately.

Dynamic Behavior of Coal Pillar under Different Load Percentage by Numerical Simulation

The stability and dynamic response of coal pillar is of great importance in underground coal mining. In this paper, a series of uniaxial compressive experiments were first carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of coal. Subsequently, a statistical constitutive damage model for coal was proposed and applied to the numerical simulation. The proposed strain damage softening function showed almost the same goodness-of-fit on the experimental curve. According to this investigation, a numerical model FLAC3Dwas created to investigate the dynamic behavior of the coal pillar under different load percentage (LP). Modelling suggests that the incident and transmitted wave stress evolution observes similar rule and its process can be divided into three stages, namely, static preload, dynamic disturbance, and stabilized stages. The effects of dynamic disturbance intensity are also studied at 10 MPa, 20 MPa, and 30 MPa of peak stress, respectively. The results indicate that under the same load percentage, the peak incident and transmitted wave stress increase with the increase of dynamic disturbance intensity. On the contrary, the attenuation decreases. It is also observed that the failure zone interior the coal can be predicted by the wave propagation.

A Finite Strain Analytical Solution for Stress-Softening of Hyperelastic Materials Under Cyclic Bending

In this paper, a new approach for stress-softening of an isotropic, incompressible, hyperelastic and rectangular beam that undergoes cyclic bending-unbending deformation, is presented. Employing an exponential softening function, damage response of the hyperelastic beam due to cyclic finite bending is investigated. The stress-softening phenomenon occurs in elastomeric materials when they deform for the first time. Under the same deformation, the stress required in reloading is smaller than the initial loading stage. This is known as the Mullins effect. To verify the accuracy of the proposed solution, finite element analysis of the same problem is carried out. In this study, a principal stretch-based strain energy function i.e., Ogden model and an invariant-based function such as a newly introduced Exp–Exp model are used for all bending, unbending and re-bending procedures. The proposed method needs a much shorter time compared to FEM simulations. Thus, in design and optimization of the structures under bending that requires a large number of analyses, the proposed semi-analytical solution can be considered as an efficient tool for studying the effects of different material and geometrical parameters.

Dynamic Behavior of Coal Pillar Under Different Load Percentage by Numerical Simulation

The stability and dynamic response of coal pillar is of great importance in underground coal mining. In this paper, a series of uniaxial compressiveexperimentswerefirst carried out to investigate the mechanical properties of coal. Subsequently, a statistical constitutive damage model for coal was proposed and applied to the numerical simulation. The proposed strain damage softening function showed almostthe same goodness-of-fit on the experimental curve. A numericalmodel FLAC3Dwas created to investigate the dynamic behavior of the coal pillar under different load percentage(LD). Modelling suggests that the incident and transmitted wave stress evolution observesa similar rule and its process can be divided into three stages, namely, static preload, dynamic disturbance and stabilized stages.Under the same load percentage, the peak incident and transmitted wave stress increase with the increase of dynamic disturbance intensity. On the contrary, the attenuation decrease. It is also observed that the failure zone interior the coal can be predicted by the wave propagation.

Production Process of Hand Sanitizer from Vietnamese Coconut Oil

Currently, hand sanitizers are seen as an indispensable household product, which not only cleanses and protects the skin from bacteria but also confers skin-softening function. With the objective of research and development the process for producing hand-sanitizer from coconut oil, this study aimed to optimize the production conditions to provide a natural-derived and low-cost hygienic product. The two factors that characterized the standard for product evaluation are the level of foaming and durability of the emulsion, which reflects the cleansing ability of the product from the saponification reaction. Upon analysis, the coconut oil/NaOH ratio of 5.5:1, the alkaline solution concentration of 10 %, 3 h reaction, 80 ºC, stirring speed of 300 rpm, pH 8 and 1:2 dilution rate were found to be the optimal reaction conditions for the highest cleaning ability. In addition, other substances are used for finalizing the product such as moisturizing glycerol, dipropylene glycol, softener skin coca amidopropyl betaine, preservatives dimethylol dimethyl hydantoin, thickener hydroxyethyl cellulose, colour and essential oils.