Biaxial tensile behavior of Ti-6Al-4V under proportional loading

The biaxial tensile behavior of isotropic Ti-6Al-4 V is characterized in this paper. A novel cruciform specimen was designed and optimized to achieve uniform stress and strain distribution within the gauge area. Biaxial tensile tests were conducted at three different loading ratios by the biaxial testing machine. The Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was applied to determine strain distribution, and a high-speed camera was employed to record the fracture process. An Inverse Analysis (IA) approach with a combined experimental and numerical method was proposed to determine the true stresses at the gauge section of the specimen during biaxial tensile tests. The results indicate that the initial yield locus can be described by the Cazacu criterion accurately, whereas the Mises criterion can predict better the strengthening behavior of Ti-6Al-4 V in the first quadrant in the principal stress space.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of mechanical behavior of plain woven CFRP composites subjected to three-point bending

The mechanical behavior of plain woven Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites under Three-Point Bending (TPB) is investigated via experimental and numerical approaches. Multiscale models, including microscale, mesoscale and macroscale models, have been developed to characterize the TPB strength and damages. Thereinto, Representative Volume Elements (RVEs) of the microscale and mesoscale structures are established to determine the effective properties of carbon-fiber yarn and CFRP composites, respectively. Aimed at accurately and efficiently predicting the TPB behavior, an Equivalent Cross-Ply Laminate (ECPL) cell is proposed to simplify the inherent woven architecture, and the effective properties of the subcell are computed using a local homogenization approach. The macroscale model of the TPB specimen is constructed by a topology structure of ECPL cells to predict the mechanical behavior. The TPB experiments have been performed to validate the multiscale models. Both the experimental and numerical results reveal that delamination mainly appears in the top and bottom interfaces of the CFRP laminates. And matrix cracking and delamination are identified as the significant damage modes during the TPB process. Finally, the quasi-static and dynamic behaviors of plain woven composites are discussed by comparing the results of Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) and TPB simulations.     

Local empirical model of ionospheric variability

The paper presents an analysis of the ionospheric variability as a function of local time, month, and geomagnetic activity level. The 2003–2020 dataset of peak electron densities (NmF2) from the Irkutsk DPS-4 Digisonde (52.3°N, 104.3°E) was converted into the dataset of the NmF2 disturbances (ΔNmF2) representing the relative (percentage) deviations of the NmF2 from the 27-day running median. The ΔNmF2 dataset was used to calculate root mean square values of ΔNmF2 (σNmF2) by 27-day running averaging. These σNmF2 values were considered as a measure of ionospheric variability. The σNmF2 as function of local time, day of year, and year was the input for building the local empirical model of ionospheric variability based on the linear regression of σNmF2 on the 27-day average daily Ap-index of geomagnetic activity. The paper demonstrates the diurnal-seasonal variations in σNmF2 under low geomagnetic activity (linear regression intercept) as well as the rate of increase/decrease in σNmF2 with increasing Ap (linear regression slope). The obtained diurnal, seasonal, and geomagnetic activity behavior of σNmF2 is compared with previous studies of ionospheric variability.     

Microstructure and Hot Deformation Behavior of Mg-9Al-3Si-0.375Sr-0.78Y Alloy

Using Gleeble-3500 thermal simulator， the high temperature plastic deformation behavior and microstructure evolution of Mg-9Al-3Si-0.375Sr-0.78Y alloy are investigated at the temperature of 523 K?673 K and the strain rate of 10-3 s-1?10 s-1. True strain-true stress curves show the characteristics of the typical dynamically recrystallization process. The Arrhenius constitutive equation of the hyperbolic model is established. The average activation energy and the strain rate sensitivity index are， respectively， 221.578 kJ.mol-1 and 0.137. The result shows that the α-Mg phase exhibits dynamic recrystallization (DRX) characteristics obviously. But no DRX occurs in theβ-Mg17Al12 phase. Hot deformation does not affect the primary Mg2Si phase. Under the conditions of low temperature (523 K?673 K) and high strain rate (1 s-1?10 s-1)， the flow instability and macro-defects such as crack appear in the specimens. However， there are finer recrystallization grains. Under the conditions of high temperature (≥673 K) or low strain rate， the microstructure of the alloy shows good homogeneity. The size of the primary Mg2Si phase is uniform， the size of the β-Mg17Al12 phase is small， and the distribution of the β-Mg17Al12 phase is uniform.