Dielectric Switch of High Temperature Plastic Phase Transition in Two Organic Salts with Chiral Feature

Organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) with high-temperature reversible dielectric switching properties and single chiral characteristics and various structural phase transformations provide more possibilities for different functional properties. Here, we successfully...

Estimation and verification of fractional derivative-based permeability of coals considering mining-induced stresses

To overcome the inaccuracy of the traditional transient pulse test, a new fractional derivative-based permeability estimation formula based on the transient pulse test is proposed to describe the pressure difference decay of a coal body subjected to mining-induced stresses. The permeability of coal specimens under mining disturbance conditions is measured using the MTS815 rock mechanics test system. The experimental results show that the transient pulse test based on the fractional derivative model provides a much better estimation of the coal specimen’s permeability than the conventional exponential decay model. Analyzing the evolution of the coal’s permeability shows that the permeability tends to decrease in the pre-peak compaction stage, following which it gradually increases in the plastic phase, and then increases sharply in the post-peak phase. The significance of the fractional derivative order γ is discussed, and its analysis shows that the solid-liquid interaction inside the specimen becomes complicated when the stress within the coal specimen changes.

Numerical and analytical study on the mechanical properties of a connector with long-fiber and metal laminated bolts for prefabricated construction

To improve the mechanical performances of joints in prefabricated construction, a type of connection structure with long-fiber and metal laminated bolts (referred to as a fiber-metal connector) is proposed and investigated by simulation and theoretical methods. The results include the following: (1) The fiber layer in bolts can form a second stiffness during rotation. This mechanical characteristic improves the bearing capacities and energy dissipation ability of the connector relative to the conventional metal connector, which are expected to effectively limit the elastoplastic rotational displacement of a structure. (2) For the reason, the fiber layer can bear load in the plastic phase due to its high-strength characteristic in the length direction. (3) A bilinear model for the bearing curve of the fiber-metal connector is proposed, and equations for optimization of fiber layer thickness are obtained with a target on bearing capacity and energy dissipation ability which are approximately higher 30% and 13% than that of the conventional metal connector, respectively. This research is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the application of this fiber-metal connector in engineering and improve the safety of prefabricated structures.

Straining Behavior of Mortar Reinforced by Cold Drawn Crimped and Dog-Bone-Shaped Fibers under Monotonic and Cyclic Compressions

The straining behavior of the shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers-reinforced mortar was investigated in this study by the monotonic compressive and cyclic compressive tests. Two types of SMA fibers with a crimped and dog-bone shape were used due to the high pullout resistance capacity, which guaranteed that the fibers and mortar matrix were composited well. The plain mortar was mixed with two different compositions to create the higher elastic modulus mortar matrix and the lower elastic modulus mortar matrix compared with the elastic modulus of SMA fibers. The results of the experimental test indicated that the non-heated SMA fibers could control the strains in both elastic and plastic phases; in which, the crimped fiber was more effective in precracking due to the higher composite capacity while the dog-bone-shaped fiber had a higher effect in post-cracking. After heating, the dog-bone-shaped fiber slipped more than that of the crimped fiber; thus, the heated crimped fiber was more effective than the heated dog-bone-shaped fiber in controlling strains after cracking. The effect of SMA fibers on the elastic modulus depended on both the elastic modulus of mortar matrix and the property of SMA fibers. In the plastic phase, the fibers were effective on reducing the speed of damage in monotonic case. An equation using reinforcing index was suggested for damage evolution in the cyclic case.

Acoustic Emission and K-S Metric Entropy as Methods for Determining Mechanical Properties of Composite Materials

Due to the unique properties of polymer composites, these materials are used in many industries, including shipbuilding (hulls of boats, yachts, motorboats, cutters, ship and cooling doors, pontoons and floats, torpedo tubes and missiles, protective shields, antenna masts, radar shields, and antennas, etc.). Modern measurement methods and tools allow to determine the properties of the composite material, already during its design. The article presents the use of the method of acoustic emission and Kolmogorov-Sinai (K-S) metric entropy to determine the mechanical properties of composites. The tested materials were polyester-glass laminate without additives and with a 10% content of polyester-glass waste. The changes taking place in the composite material during loading were visualized using a piezoelectric sensor used in the acoustic emission method. Thanks to the analysis of the RMS parameter (root mean square of the acoustic emission signal), it is possible to determine the range of stresses at which significant changes occur in the material in terms of its use as a construction material. In the K-S entropy method, an important measuring tool is the extensometer, namely the displacement sensor built into it. The results obtained during the static tensile test with the use of an extensometer allow them to be used to calculate the K-S metric entropy. Many materials, including composite materials, do not have a yield point. In principle, there are no methods for determining the transition of a material from elastic to plastic phase. The authors showed that, with the use of a modern testing machine and very high-quality instrumentation to record measurement data using the Kolmogorov-Sinai (K-S) metric entropy method and the acoustic emission (AE) method, it is possible to determine the material transition from elastic to plastic phase. Determining the yield strength of composite materials is extremely important information when designing a structure.

Relationship between applied force and magnetic field in a pseudo-static test of a portal frame

Metal magnetic memory (MMM) testing is a nondestructive approach for evaluating the stress concentration and early damage of ferromagnetic components. However, research on the MMM testing of large steel structures has been limited. Thus, this study investigates the suitability of MMM technology for monitoring the damage in steel structures exposed to complex stresses. The normal components of magnetic signals Hp(y) on the beams and columns of a portal frame are obtained through pseudo-static testing. The signal increment ΔHp(y) and its absolute value |ΔHp(y)| under different loads are analyzed. The relationship between the equivalent stress and magnetic signal is investigated through numerical simulation. The results show that the ΔHp(y) curves are similar during the elastic stage but change abruptly during the plastic phase. Moreover, the differences in the magnetic signal directions caused by the varying detection directions cannot be ignored. In the elastic stage, with the increase in the load, |ΔHp(y)| curves initially increase and then decrease. The formation of the ΔHp(y) curve is similar to the distribution of the equivalent stress. The mutation of ΔHp(y) can determine whether a specimen is entering the plastic phase, and can warn against structural failure. The magnetic signal distribution qualitatively reflects the stress distribution.