Rubber-like materials are submitted to cyclic loading conditions in various applications. Fillers are always incorporated within rubber compounds. They improve the mechanical properties but induce a significant stress-softening under cyclic loadings. The physical source of the softening is not yet established and its modeling remains a challenge. For a better understanding of the softening, filled rubbers are submitted to cyclic loadings. In order to quantify the effects of the loading intensity and the number of cycles, original methods are proposed to characterize the softening. To study the influence of the material microstructure on the softening, compounds with various compositions are considered.Non proportional tensile tests including uniaxial and biaxial loading paths are applied in order to highlight the softening induced anisotropy. Such unconventional experimental data are used to provide a general criterion for the softening activation. A constitutive modeling grounded on a thorough analysis of experimental data is proposed. The model is based on a directional approach. The Mullins softening is accounted for by the strain amplification concept and is activated by a directional criterion. The model ability to predict non proportional softened material responses is demonstrated

Les applications pour lesquelles des élastomères sont soumis à des sollicitations cycliques sont nombreuses. Des charges sont généralement utilisées afin d'améliorer leurs propriétés, cependant, elles induisent également un adoucissement important de la contrainte lors de sollicitations cycliques. A ce jour, les phénomènes physiques conduisant à l’apparition de cet adoucissement ne sont pas clairement établis et sa modélisation demeure une difficulté majeure.Afin d'étudier l'adoucissement, des élastomères chargés sont soumis à des chargements cycliques. Des méthodes de caractérisations originales sont proposées afin de quantifier les effets de l'intensité du chargement et du nombre de cycles. Pour faire le lien avec la microstructure du matériau, plusieurs mélanges de compositions différentes sont utilisés. Des chargements non proportionnels de traction uniaxiale et biaxiale sont appliqués afin de mettre en évidence l'anisotropie induite par l'adoucissement. Ces données expérimentales non conventionnelles sont utilisées afin de définir un critère général pour l'activation de l'adoucissement Mullins. Une loi de comportement fondée sur une analyse approfondie des données expérimentales est proposée. La modélisation est basée sur une approche directionnelle. L'adoucissement Mullins est modélisé en utilisant le concept d'amplification de la déformation et son activation est pilotée par un critère directionnel. La capacité du modèle à prédire les réponses d'un matériau ayant subit un historique de chargement non proportionnel est validée / Rubber-like materials are submitted to cyclic loading conditions in various applications. Fillers are always incorporated within rubber compounds. They improve the mechanical properties but induce a significant stress-softening under cyclic loadings. The physical source of the softening is not yet established and its modeling remains a challenge. For a better understanding of the softening, filled rubbers are submitted to cyclic loadings. In order to quantify the effects of the loading intensity and the number of cycles, original methods are proposed to characterize the softening. To study the influence of the material microstructure on the softening, compounds with various compositions are considered.Non proportional tensile tests including uniaxial and biaxial loading paths are applied in order to highlight the softening induced anisotropy. Such unconventional experimental data are used to provide a general criterion for the softening activation. A constitutive modeling grounded on a thorough analysis of experimental data is proposed. The model is based on a directional approach. The Mullins softening is accounted for by the strain amplification concept and is activated by a directional criterion. The model ability to predict non proportional softened material responses is demonstrated

This thesis describes selection and shows calibration of material model, capable of describing cyclic softening of material. Stress-strain FEM analysis of circumferential blade attachment for last section of rotor blades of steam turbine is performed, expected lifetime of existing attachment is evaluated. Multi-parameter optimization of new-shape attachment was done, resulting in dimensions for new-shape attachment with longer lifetime. Improvements in strain amount in comparison with existing attachment were evaluated and possible RPM increase of turbine with new attachment type was calculated.

Le travail s’intéresse aux effets de l’histoire de chargement sur le comportement et la durée de vie en fatigue de deux nuances (THYSSEN et CLI)d’un acier inoxydable austénitique 304L à la température ambiante. Les essais ont été réalisés en utilisant deux catégories d’éprouvettes. Les éprouvettes de la première catégorie (vierges) ont été soumises à des essais classiques de fatigue,alors que celles de la deuxième ont subi, avant les essais de fatigue, un pré-écrouissage monotone ou cyclique en déformation imposée. Les éprouvettes vierges manifestent un adoucissement cyclique suivi d’un durcissement cyclique alors que les éprouvettes pré-écrouies ne présentent qu’un durcissement cyclique. Les résultats montrent une grande influence du pré-écrouissage qui semble bénéfique en contrainte imposée, mais néfaste en déformation imposée,même en présence d'une contrainte moyenne de compression. Ces résultats sont discutés en termes d'évolution cyclique du module d'élasticité, des écrouissages isotropes et cinématiques, et de la densité d’énergie absorbées par cycle, dans différentes configurations : avec ou sans pré-écrouissage, en contrainte ou déformation imposées... / This study deals with the effect of the loading history on the cyclic behavior and the fatigue life of two kinds (THYSSEN and CLI) of 304L stainless steel at room temperature. The experiments have been performed using two specimens’ categories. The first one (virgin) has been submitted to only classical fatigue tests while in the second category, prior to the fatigue test, the specimen is subjected to a pre-hardening process under either monotonic or cyclic strain control. Cyclic softening followed by cyclic hardening are observed for the virgin specimens while only cyclic softening is exhibited by the pre-hardened specimens. The obtained results show that fatigue life is strongly influenced by the pre-hardening: it seems beneficial under stress control but detrimental under strain control, even in the presence of a compressive mean stress. The results are discussed regarding the cyclic evolution of the elastic modulus aswell as the isotropic and kinematic parts of the strain hardening, and strain energy density per cycle, in different configurations: with or without prehardening,stress or strain control...

The increased use of thermoplastics in load carrying components, especially in the automotive industry, drives the needs for a better understanding of its complex mechanical properties. In this thesis work for a master degree in solid mechanics, the mechanical properties of a PA 6/66 resin with and without reinforcement of glass fibers experimentally been investigated. Topics of interest have been the dependency of fiber orientation, residual strains at unloading and compression relative tension properties. The experimental investigation was followed by simulations implementing existing and available constitutive models in the commercial finite element code LS-DYNA. The experimental findings showed that the orientation of the fibers significantly affects the mechanical properties. The ultimate tensile strength differed approximately 50% between along and cross flow direction and the cross-flow properties are closer to the ones of the unfilled resin, i.e. the matrix material. An elastic-plastic model with Hill’s yield criterion was used to capture the anisotropy in a simulation of the tensile test. Residual strains were measured during strain recovery from different load levels and the experimental findings were implemented in an elastic-plastic damage model to predict the permanent strains after unloading. Compression tests showed that a stiffer response is obtained for strains above 3% in comparison to tension. The increased stiffness in compression is although too small to significantly influence a simulation of a 3 point bend test using a material model dependent of the hydrostatic stress.

Die Arbeit widmet sich dem Fließverhalten von Stählen bei zyklisch inkrementeller Torsion. Dazu werden vergleichend Reineisen und der ferritisch-perlitische Stahl 42CrMo4N bei unterschiedlichen Verformungspfaden betrachtet. Vor allem in zyklischen Torsionsversuchen mit bleibendem Verformungsinkrement je Zyklus werden Fließkurvenverläufe und Verformungsverfestigung analysiert. Die Ergebnisse belegen den Einfluss des lamellaren Zementit auf das Fließverhalten des Stahls 42CrMo4N, während die Eigenschaften des Reineisens von der entstehenden Versetzungszellstruktur bestimmt werden. Die Richtungsabhängigkeit der Fließspannung und die Verläufe der Fließkurven unterscheiden sich für die betrachteten Werkstoffe deutlich. Fließortkurven dienen der quantitativen Beschreibung der Verfestigung. Die Vorgehensweise zu ihrer Ermittlung und ihre Abhängigkeit von den Versuchsbedingungen und den Verformungszuständen werden gezeigt. Bei Reineisen dominieren isotrope, bei dem Stahl 42CrMo4N kinematische Verfestigungsanteile das Fließverhalten. / Ferritic-pearlitic steel 42CrMo4N and pure iron under different strain paths are compared regarding their flow behaviour. Mainly in cyclic torsion tests with resulting strain increment per cycle shear stresses and strain hardening are analysed. The results show, that the cementite lamellae determine the flow behaviour of the steel 42CrMo4N, whereas the properties of pure iron are governed by the evolving dislocation cell structure. The dependency of flow stress on the strain direction is different for the two materials. Yield surfaces describe strain hardening quantitatively. The procedure for yield point detection and the dependency of subsequent yield surfaces on experimental conditions and strain states is shown. For pure iron isotropic hardening, for steel 42CrMo4N kinematic strain hardening dominates the flow behaviour.

Die Arbeit widmet sich dem Fließverhalten von Stählen bei zyklisch inkrementeller Torsion. Dazu werden vergleichend Reineisen und der ferritisch-perlitische Stahl 42CrMo4N bei unterschiedlichen Verformungspfaden betrachtet. Vor allem in zyklischen Torsionsversuchen mit bleibendem Verformungsinkrement je Zyklus werden Fließkurvenverläufe und Verformungsverfestigung analysiert. Die Ergebnisse belegen den Einfluss des lamellaren Zementit auf das Fließverhalten des Stahls 42CrMo4N, während die Eigenschaften des Reineisens von der entstehenden Versetzungszellstruktur bestimmt werden. Die Richtungsabhängigkeit der Fließspannung und die Verläufe der Fließkurven unterscheiden sich für die betrachteten Werkstoffe deutlich. Fließortkurven dienen der quantitativen Beschreibung der Verfestigung. Die Vorgehensweise zu ihrer Ermittlung und ihre Abhängigkeit von den Versuchsbedingungen und den Verformungszuständen werden gezeigt. Bei Reineisen dominieren isotrope, bei dem Stahl 42CrMo4N kinematische Verfestigungsanteile das Fließverhalten. / Ferritic-pearlitic steel 42CrMo4N and pure iron under different strain paths are compared regarding their flow behaviour. Mainly in cyclic torsion tests with resulting strain increment per cycle shear stresses and strain hardening are analysed. The results show, that the cementite lamellae determine the flow behaviour of the steel 42CrMo4N, whereas the properties of pure iron are governed by the evolving dislocation cell structure. The dependency of flow stress on the strain direction is different for the two materials. Yield surfaces describe strain hardening quantitatively. The procedure for yield point detection and the dependency of subsequent yield surfaces on experimental conditions and strain states is shown. For pure iron isotropic hardening, for steel 42CrMo4N kinematic strain hardening dominates the flow behaviour.