In composite manufacturing, Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) is becoming increasingly important as a cost effective manufacturing method of structural composites. In this process the dry preform (reinforcement) is placed on a rigid tool and covered by a flexible film to form an airtight vacuum bag. Liquid resin is...
Continuous fiber/epoxy composites have been widely used for structural applications due to their excellent mechanical properties, but the benefits of using these composites is limited by their lower than desired matrix-dominated properties. In this study, epoxy matrix in carbon fiber/epoxy composites was modified with graphite nanoplatelets to improve their mechanical...
Finite element methods for the simulation of dynamic fracture in plane and thin shell structures and their application to quasi-brittle fracture problems are presented. The method is based on the extended finite element method (XFEM) and is incorperated within an explicit time integration scheme. The method is implemented using 4-node...
The discovery of efficient and accurate descriptions for the macroscopic constitutive behavior of heterogeneous materials with complex microstructure remains an outstanding challenge in mechanics. On the one hand, great accuracy can be achieved by modeling small domains of a material including all the details in the microstructure, however, at the...
Metallic nanowires have become functional elements in many electronic devices such as the latest fin-FET (field effect transistor) from Intel, which has metallization layers with pitch as small as 90nm, flexible electronics, touch screens and nanoelectromechanical systems. This wide applicability of nanowires warrants extensive characterization of their fundamental properties such...
Anisotropic quasi-brittle materials represent a large group of geological and structural materials commonly seen in various engineering applications. A thorough study of their behaviors, especially anisotropic elastic response, damage, and fracturing behaviors, are essential for better understanding, optimizing, and utilizing their engineering performance. Two representative anisotropic quasi-brittle materials, shale rocks...