The finite deformation of nonlinear composite materials. I. Instantaneous constitutive relations. II: Evolution of the microstructure (Q1388438)

This work deals with the development of effective constitutive models for two-phase nonlinearly viscous and rigid-perfectly plastic composites subjected to finite deformations. The main new feature of the model is the ability to account approximately for the evolution of the microstructure resulting from the finite changes in geometry during a given deformation process. The model is formulated in terms of instantaneous constitutive relations for the composites, which depend on appropriate variables characterizing the state of the microstructure, together with evolution equations for these state variables. The first part of the work is concerned with the development of the instantaneous constitutive relations for classes of microstructures that are sufficiently broad to capture the changes in microstructure associated with general triaxial finite-deformation histories. Simple formulae are given for the effective potentials and stress-strain rate relations of power-law viscous composites made of aligned ellipsoidal inclusions of one phase dispersed in a matrix of a second phase. The second part deals with the identification of appropriate variables characterizing the state of the microstructure, and with the development of evolution equations for these variables. Under the assumption of triaxial loading conditions, it is argued that aligned ellipsoidal inclusions deform -- in some average sense -- into ellipsoidal inclusions with different size and shape. The appropriate state variables are thus the current values of the volume fractions of the phases and the aspect ratios of the inclusions. The pertinent evolution laws then follow from well-known kinematical relations, together with appropriate estimates for the average strain rate in the inclusion and matrix phase. The resulting constitutive models take the form of standard homogenized stress-strain rate relations, supplemented by evolution equations for the above-mentioned state variables. The main conclusion is that effective behavior of these composites will not be perfectly plastic, but may exhibit hardening, or even softening, depending on the specific nature of the applied loading conditions.