One of the most important and exciting areas of composites research is the development of modelling techniques to predict the response of composite materials to different types of stress. Predictive modelling provides the opportunity both to understand better how composites behave in different conditions and to develop materials with enhanced performance for particular industrial applications. Multi-scale modelling of composite material systems summarises the key research in this area and its implications for industry.The book covers modelling approaches ranging from the micron to the metre in scale, and from the single fibre to complete composite structures. Individual chapters discuss a variety of material types from laminates and fibre-reinforced composites to monolithic and sandwich composites. They also analyse a range of types of stress and stress response from fracture and impact to wear and fatigue. Authors also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of particular models.With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Multi-scale modelling of composite material systems is a standard reference for both academics and manufacturers in such areas as aerospace, automotive and civil engineering. - Extensive coverage of this important and exciting area of composites research - Understand how composites behave in different circumstances - Compiled by an expert panel of authors and editors

Multiscale materials modelling offers an integrated approach to modelling material behaviour across a range of scales from the electronic, atomic and microstructural up to the component level. As a result, it provides valuable new insights into complex structures and their properties, opening the way to develop new, multi-functional materials together with improved process and product designs. Multiscale materials modelling summarises some of the key techniques and their applications.The various chapters cover the spectrum of scales in modelling methodologies, including electronic structure calculations, mesoscale and continuum modelling. The book covers such themes as dislocation behaviour and plasticity as well as the modelling of structural materials such as metals, polymers and ceramics. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Multiscale materials modelling is a valuable reference for both the modelling community and those in industry wanting to know more about how multiscale materials modelling can help optimise product and process design. - Reviews the principles and applications of mult-scale materials modelling - Covers themes such as dislocation behaviour and plasticity and the modelling of structural materials - Examines the spectrum of scales in modelling methodologies, including electronic structure calculations, mesoscale and continuum modelling

Due to their high stiffness and strength and their good processing properties short fibre reinforced thermoplastics are well-established construction materials. Up to now, simulation of engineering parts consisting of short fibre reinforced thermoplastics has often been based on macroscopic phenomenological models, but deformations, damage and failure of composite materials strongly depend on their microstructure. The typical modes of failure of short fibre thermoplastics enriched with glass fibres are matrix failure, rupture of fibres and delamination, and pure macroscopic consideration is not sufficient to predict those effects. The typical predictive phenomenological models are complex and only available for very special failures. A quantitative prediction on how failure will change depending on the content and orientation of the fibres is generally not possible, and the direct involvement of the above effects in a numerical simulation requires multi-scale modelling. One the one hand, this makes it possible to take into account the properties of the matrix material and the fibre material, the microstructure of the composite in terms of fibre content, fibre orientation and shape as well as the properties of the interface between fibres and matrix. On the other hand, the multi-scale approach links these local properties to the global behaviour and forms the basis for the dimensioning and design of engineering components. Furthermore, multi-scale numerical simulations are required to allow efficient solution of the models when investigating three-dimensional problems of dimensioning engineering parts. Bringing together mathematical modelling, materials mechanics, numerical methods and experimental engineering, this book provides a unique overview of multi-scale modelling approaches, multi-scale simulations and experimental investigations of short fibre reinforced thermoplastics. The first chapters focus on two principal subjects: the mathematical and mechanical models governing composite properties and damage description. The subsequent chapters present numerical algorithms based on the Finite Element Method and the Boundary Element Method, both of which make explicit use of the composite’s microstructure. Further, the results of the numerical simulations are shown and compared to experimental results. Lastly, the book investigates deformation and failure of composite materials experimentally, explaining the applied methods and presenting the results for different volume fractions of fibres. This book is a valuable resource for applied mathematics, theoretical and experimental mechanical engineers as well as engineers in industry dealing with modelling and simulation of short fibre reinforced composites.

Today, multi-functional materials such as piezoelectric/ferroelectric ceramics, magneto-strictive and shape memory alloys are gaining increasing applications as sensors, actuators or smart composite materials systems for emerging high tech areas. The stable performance and reliability of these smart components under complex service loads is of paramount practical importance. However, most multi-functional materials suffer from various mechanical and/or electro-magnetical degra-dation mechanisms as fatigue, damage and fracture. Therefore, this exciting topic has become a challenge to intensive international research, provoking the interdisciplinary approach between solid mechanics, materials science and physics. This book summarizes the outcome of the above mentioned IUTAM-symposium, assembling contributions by leading scientists in this area. Particularly, the following topics have been addressed: (1) Development of computational methods for coupled electromechanical field analysis, especially extended, adaptive and multi-level finite elements. (2) Constitutive modeling of non-linear smart material behavior with coupled electric, magnetic, thermal and mechanical fields, primarily based on micro-mechanical models. (3) Investigations of fracture and fatigue in piezoelectric and ferroelectric ceramics by means of process zone modeling, phase field simulation and configurational mechanics. (4) Reliability and durability of sensors and actuators under in service loading by alternating mechanical, electrical and thermal fields. (5) Experimental methods to measure fracture strength and to investigate fatigue crack growth in ferroelectric materials under electromechanical loading. (6) New ferroelectric materials, compounds and composites with enhanced strain capabilities.

Advanced materials play a crucial role in modern engineering applications where they are often exposed to complex loading and environmental conditions. In many cases, new approaches are needed to characterise these materials and to model their behaviour. Such approaches should be calibrated and validated by specific experimental techniques, quantifying both microstructural features and respective mechanisms at various length scales. The book provides an overview of modern modelling tools and experimental methods that can be employed to analyse and estimate properties and performance of advanced materials. A special feature of the book is the analysis of case studies used to demonstrate the strategies of solving the real-life problems, in which the microstructure of materials directly affects their response to loading and/or environmental conditions. The reader will benefit from a detailed analysis of various methods as well as their implementation for dealing with various advanced materials.

This book presents the state-of-the-art in multiscale modeling and simulation techniques for composite materials and structures. It focuses on the structural and functional properties of engineering composites and the sustainable high performance of components and structures. The multiscale techniques can be also applied to nanocomposites which are important application areas in nanotechnology. There are few books available on this topic.

This book brings together a diverse compilation of inter-disciplinary chapters on fundamental aspects of carbon fiber composite materials and multi-functional composite structures: including synthesis, characterization, and evaluation from the nano-structure to structure meters in length. The content and focus of contributions under the umbrella of structural integrity of composite materials embraces topics at the forefront of composite materials science and technology, the disciplines of mechanics, and development of a new predictive design methodology of the safe operation of engineering structures from cradle to grave. Multi-authored papers on multi-scale modelling of problems in material design and predicting the safe performance of engineering structure illustrate the inter-disciplinary nature of the subject. The book examines topics such as Stochastic micro-mechanics theory and application for advanced composite systems Construction of the evaluation process for structural integrity of material and structure Nano- and meso-mechanics modelling of structure evolution during the accumulation of damage Statistical meso-mechanics of composite materials Hierarchical analysis including "age-aware," high-fidelity simulation and virtual mechanical testing of composite structures right up to the point of failure. The volume is ideal for scientists, engineers, and students interested in carbon fiber composite materials, and other composite material systems.

Multi-scale modelling of composites is a very relevant topic in composites science. This is illustrated by the numerous sessions in the recent European and International Conferences on Composite Materials, but also by the fast developments in multi-scale modelling software tools, developed by large industrial players such as Siemens (Virtual Material Characterization toolkit and MultiMechanics virtual testing software), MSC/e-Xstream (Digimat software), Simulia (micromechanics plug-in in Abaqus), HyperSizer (Multi-scale design of composites), Altair (Altair Multiscale Designer) This book is intended to be an ideal reference on the latest advances in multi-scale modelling of fibre-reinforced polymer composites, that is accessible for both (young) researchers and end users of modelling software. We target three main groups: This book aims at a complete introduction and overview of the state-of-the-art in multi-scale modelling of composites in three axes: • ranging from prediction of homogenized elastic properties to nonlinear material behaviour • ranging from geometrical models for random packing of unidirectional fibres over meso-scale geometries for textile composites to orientation tensors for short fibre composites • ranging from damage modelling of unidirectionally reinforced composites over textile composites to short fibre-reinforced composites The book covers the three most important scales in multi-scale modelling of composites: (i) micro-scale, (ii) meso-scale and (iii) macro-scale. The nano-scale and related atomistic and molecular modelling approaches are deliberately excluded, since the book wants to focus on continuum mechanics and there are already a lot of dedicated books about polymer nanocomposites. A strong focus is put on physics-based damage modelling, in the sense that the chapters devote attention to modelling the different damage mechanisms (matrix cracking, fibre/matrix debonding, delamination, fibre fracture,...) in such a way that the underlying physics of the initiation and growth of these damage modes is respected. The book also gives room to not only discuss the finite element based approaches for multi-scale modelling, but also much faster methods that are popular in industrial software, such as Mean Field Homogenization methods (based on Mori-Tanaka and Eshelby solutions) and variational methods (shear lag theory and more advanced theories). Since the book targets a wide audience, the focus is put on the most common numerical approaches that are used in multi-scale modelling. Very specialized numerical methods like peridynamics modelling, Material Point Method, eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM), isogeometric analysis, SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics),... are excluded. Outline of the book The book is divided in three large parts, well balanced with each a similar number of chapters:

This book gathers contributions addressing issues related to the analysis of composite structures, whose most relevant common thread is augmented numerical efficiency, which is more accurate for given computational costs than existing methods and methodologies. It first presents structural theories to deal with the anisotropy of composites and to embed multifield and nonlinear effects to extend design capabilities and provide methods of augmenting the fidelity of structural theories and lowering computational costs, including the finite element method. The second part of the book focuses on damage analysis; the multiscale and multicomponent nature of composites leads to extremely complex failure mechanisms, and predictive tools require physics-based models to reduce the need for fitting and tuning based on costly and lengthy experiments, and to lower computational costs; furthermore the correct monitoring of in-service damage is decisive in the context of damage tolerance. The third part then presents recent advances in embedding characterization and manufacturing effects in virtual testing. The book summarizes the outcomes of the FULLCOMP (FULLy integrated analysis, design, manufacturing, and health-monitoring of COMPosite structures) research project.

Sustainable Composites for Aerospace Applications presents innovative advances in the fabrication, characterization and applications of LDH polymer nanocomposites. It covers fundamental structural and chemical knowledge and explores various properties and characterization techniques, including microscopic, spectroscopic and mechanical behaviors. Users will find a strong focus on the potential applications of LDH polymer nanocomposites, such as in energy, electronics, electromagnetic shielding, biomedical, agricultural, food packaging and water purification functions. This book provides comprehensive coverage of cutting-edge research in the field of LDH polymer nanocomposites and future applications, and is an essential read for all academics, researchers, engineers and students working in this area. - Presents fundamental knowledge of LDH polymer nanocomposites, including chemical composition, structural features and fabrication techniques - Provides an analytical overview of the different types of characterization techniques and technologies - Contains extensive reviews on cutting-edge research for future applications in a variety of industries