In this investigation, polymer precursor of syntactic foam has been reinforced with SiC nanoparticles to enhance mechanical and fracture properties. Derakane 8084 vinyl ester resin was first dispersed with 1.0 wt% of SiC particles using a sonic cavitation technique. In the next step, 30.0 wt% of microspheres (3M hollow glass borosilicate, S-series) were mechanically mixed with the nanophased vinyl ester resin, and cast into rectangular molds. A small amount of styrene was used as dilutant to facilitate mixing of microspheres. The size of microspheres and SiC nanoparticles were 20-30 um and 30-50 nm, respectively. Tension, compression, and flexure tests were conducted following ASTM standards and a consistent improvement in strength and modulus within 20-35% range was observed. Fracture toughness parameters such as KIC and GIC were also determined using ASTM E-399. An improvement of about 11-15% was observed. Samples were also subjected to various environmental conditions and degradation in material properties is reported. / by Debdutta Das. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

by Chu Kin Fung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-75). / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Preliminaries --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Basic Notations --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Function Spaces --- p.8 / Chapter 3 --- Examples of Exactly Solvable Cases --- p.19 / Chapter 4 --- Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions --- p.29 / Chapter 5 --- Properties of Solutions --- p.41 / Chapter 6 --- Perturbation Expansion --- p.49

Law, Man Fai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-86). / Text in English; abstract also in Chinese. / Law, Man Fai. / Contents --- p.i / Abstract --- p.iii / Acknowledgement --- p.iv / List of Figures --- p.v / List of Tables --- p.ix / Chapter Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2. --- Spectral Representation of Composite Materials --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- Spectral method --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- General properties --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Duality --- p.12 / Chapter 2.4 --- Dilute limit --- p.13 / Chapter 2.5 --- Effective-medium approximation (EMA) --- p.15 / Chapter 2.6 --- Moment expansions --- p.16 / Chapter Chapter 3. --- Local Field Effect and Depolarization Factor --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1 --- Isotropic homogeneous media --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2 --- Linear anisotropic homogeneous media --- p.22 / Chapter 3.3 --- Inhomogeneous anisotropic media --- p.24 / Chapter Chapter 4. --- Simulation on Correlated Microstructures --- p.26 / Chapter 4.1 --- Solving the nonlinear impedance networks --- p.27 / Chapter 4.2 --- Models of correlated microstructure --- p.29 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Two-site correlated microstruture --- p.29 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Environment correlated microstructure --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3 --- Conclusions --- p.45 / Chapter Chapter 5. --- Simulation on Anisotropic Microstructure --- p.46 / Chapter 5.1 --- Solving anisotropic impedance networks --- p.50 / Chapter 5.2 --- Simulation and results --- p.50 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Parallel response --- p.51 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Perpendicular response --- p.57 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Unpolarized response --- p.61 / Chapter 5.3 --- Conclusions --- p.65 / Chapter Chapter 6. --- Conclusions --- p.66 / Appendix A. Symbolic Simulation --- p.67 / Chapter A.1 --- Formalism --- p.67 / Chapter A.2 --- Scaling Properties --- p.69 / Chapter A.3 --- The simulation --- p.71 / Appendix B. Fluctuation of Local Field in Composite Materials --- p.74 / Chapter B.l --- Simulations and Results --- p.74 / Appendix C. Lattice Animals in Correlated Network --- p.82 / Bibliography --- p.84

The proposed research is essentially concerned on numerical simulation of materials and structures commonly used in the aerospace industry. The work is primarily focused on the study of the fracture mechanics with emphasis to composite materials, which are widely employed in the aerospace and automotive industry. Since human lives are involved, it is highly important to know how such structures react in case of failure and, possibly, how to prevent them with an adequate design. It has become of primary importance to simulate the material response in composite, especially considering that even a crack, which could be invisible from the outside, can propagate throughout the structure with small external loads and lead to unrecoverable fracture of the structure. In addition, structures made in composite often present a complex behaviour, due to their unconventional elastic properties. A numerical simulation is then a starting point of an innovative and safe design. Conventional techniques (nite elements for example) are not su-cient or simply not ecient in providing a satisfactory description of these phenomena. In fact, being based on the continuum assumption, mesh-based techniques suer of a native incapacity of simulating discontinuities. Novel numerical methods, known as Meshless Methods or Meshfree Methods (MM) and, in a wider perspective, Partition of Unity Methods (PUM), promise to overcome all the disadvantages of the traditional finite element techniques. The absence of a mesh makes MM very attractive for those problems involving large deformations, moving boundaries and crack propagation. However, MM still have signicant limitations that prevent their acceptance among researchers and engineers. Because of the infancy of these methods, more efforts should be made in order to improve their performances, with particular attention to the computational time. In summary, the proposed research will look at the attractive possibilities offered by these methods for the study of failure in composite materials and the subsequent propagation of cracks.

Neste trabalho calculamos inicialmente as propriedades ópticas de filmes compósitos de Me-NiO e Me-CoO, sendo os metais Me = Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Pd e Pt, a partir da teoria de meio efetivo de Maxwell Garnett. Este estudo teórico possibilitou avaliar a viabilidade de se obter experimentalmente um material colorido na região do espectro visível, com absorção seletiva numa estreita faixa de comprimentos de onda. Os resultados mostraram que o candidato ideal para tal fim é o compósito a base de Au. A partir deste resultado iniciou-se o crescimento de filmes finos compósitos de Au-NiO e Au-CoO, utilizando diferentes estratégias experimentais: (i) deposição por DC magnetron sputtering reativo, (ii) deposição do filme de NiO, por DC magnetron sputtering reativo e Au pelos métodos de sol-gel e dip coating e (iii) deposição de ambos os filmes, NiOxHy e Au, por sol-gel e dip coating. Os resultados mostraram uma seletividade pequena (-5-10%) nos filmes crescidos pelo método de sputtering, devido ao caráter atomístico desse tipo de técnica, que conduz à formação de pequenos aglomerados de Au (menores que -3 nm), ao invés de agregados com tamanhos da ordem de algumas dezenas de nanômetros, obtidos facilmente pelo método sol-gel. O crescimento na forma de multicamadas proporciona uma melhor seletividade, em torno de 1 5%. Pós-tratamentos térmicos em filmes compósito s obtidos unicamente por sputtering induzem a aglomeração do Au, mas destroem as propriedades eletrocrôrnicas. No caso de filmes de Au crescidos por sol-gel, a seletividade espectral, decorrente da presença do Au aumenta, indo de 15% a 20% em filmes depositados sobre a matriz óxida crescida por sputtering e por sol-gel, respectivamente. Mediante processos eletroquímicos, os filmes de NiOxHy crescidos por sol-gel e dip coating apresentaram os melhores resultados de variação de transmitância (70%), devido à maior porosidade desses filmes. / In this work we initially calculated the optical properties of cermet films of Me-NiO and Me-CoO, being the metals Me = Au, Ag, Cu, Ni, Pd and Pt, by means of the Maxwell Garnett effective medium theory. This theoretical study allowed evaluating the viability to obtain, experimentally, a colored material in the visible spectrum region, with selective absorption in a narrow range of wavelengths. The results showed that the ideal candidate for such goal is the Au cermet. Looking at this result, the growth of Au-NiO and Au-CoO thin films was initiated using different experimental strategies: (i) deposition by reactive DC magnetron sputtering, (ii) deposition of the NiO, film by reactive DC magnetron sputtering and Au by the sol-gel and dip coating methods and (iii) deposition of both films, NiOxHy and Au, by sol-gel and dip coating. The films grown by sputtering showed a small selectivity (-5-10%), due to the atomistic character of this type of technique. It leads to the formation of small clusters of Au (smaller than -3 nrn), instead of aggregates with sizes of the order of some tenths of nanometers, easily obtained by the sol-gel method. Better selectivity, around 15%, is obtained in films deposited as multilayers. Post thermal annealing of the cermet films grown by sputtering induces the agglomeration of Au, but destroys the electrochromic properties. In the case of Au films grown by sol-gel, the spectral selectivity increases, due to the presence of Au, going from 15% to 20% in films deposited on the oxide matrix, deposited by sputtering and sol-gel, respectively. Under electrochemical processes, the NiOxHy films grown by sol-gel and dip coating presented the highest transmission variation (70%), due to larger porosity of these films.

The random nature of the micro-structural attributes in materials in general and composite material systems in particular requires expansion of material modeling in a way that will incorporate their inherent uncertainty and predict its impact on material properties and mechanical response in multiple scales. Despite the importance of capturing and modeling material randomness, there are numerous challenges in structural characterization that are yet to be addressed. The work presented in this essay takes a few steps towards an improved material modeling approach which encompasses structural randomness in order to produce a more realistic representation of material systems. For this end a computational framework was developed to generate a realistic representative volume element which reflects the inherent structural randomness. First stochastic structural elements were identified and registered from imaging data and parameters were assigned to represent those elements. Statistical characterization of the random attributes was followed by the construction of a representative volume element which shared the same structural statistical characteristics with the original material system. The resultant statistical equivalent representative volume element (SERVE) was then used in finite element simulations which provided homogenized properties and mechanical response predictions. The suggested framework was developed and then implemented on 3 different material systems. Image processing and analysis in one of the material systems extended the original scope of this work to solving a machine vision and learning problem. Object segmentation for the purpose object and pattern recognition has been a long standing subject of interest in the field of machine vision. Despite the significant attention given to the development of segmentation and recognition methods, the critical challenge of separating merged objects did not share the spotlight. A simple yet original approach to overcome this hurdle was developed using unsupervised classification and separation of objects in 3D. Lower dimensionality classifiers were joined to provide a powerful higher dimensionality classification tool. The robustness of this approach is illustrated through its implementation on two case studies of merged objects. Applications of this methodology can further extend from structural classification to general problems of clustering and classification in various fields.

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In this research, the degradation of carbon fiber/vinylester composites in marine environments was experimentally investigated. Additionally, two types of carbon fiber surface treatments, namely Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS) and the industrial surface treatment F0E, were evaluated to determine their effectiveness in creating a fiber/matrix (F/M) interface for use in the marine environment. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was explored as a new application of an existing technique for use in measuring the amount of water at the F/M interface in carbon fiber/vinylester composites. EIS spectra were used to determine equivalent electric circuit models that allow for the prediction of water at the interface. The location of water within the composite was determined through Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). Interlaminar shear strength and transverse tensile tests were carried out for dry conditions and after hygrothermal exposure of the composites to study the influence of the integrity of the F/M interface on the macroscopic response of the composite. / by Chris J. Vinci. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Advanced lightweight structural materials like composites are being increasingly utilized in various engineering applications due to high specific strength and stiffness with tailorable properties. Even though composites have the advantage of modulating a large number of design parameters to achieve various application-specific requirements, this concurrently brings the challenge of dealing with inevitable uncertainties during manufacturing and service-life conditions. This dissertation focuses on practically relevant modelling of random spatial variability coupled with the influence of damage to quantify the effect of source-uncertainties following an efficient surrogate based framework. Layer-wise random variable based approach and the random field based approaches of uncertainty modelling are investigated to quantify the stochastic dynamics and stability characteristics of in a probabilistic multi-scale framework. A novel concept of stochastic representative volume element is proposed to consider the spatially varying structural attributes effectively. A physically relevant random field based modelling approach with correlated material properties is adopted based on the Karhunen-Loève expansion. To understand the relative influences, sensitivity of the stochastic input parameters are analyzed for the global structural responses of composite laminates considering micro and macro mechanical properties separately. Besides the conventional sources of uncertainty in material and structural properties, another source of uncertainty is considered in the form of noise. Besides probabilistic analysis, this dissertation proposes a fuzzy representative volume element based approach for modelling spatial variability in non-probabilistic analysis for the cases where statistical distributions of the stochastic input parameters are not available. The results reveal that stochasticity affects the system performance significantly. A notable difference in the global stochastic behaviour is identified depending upon the adopted uncertainty modeling approach. Thus, it is imperative to appropriately model the sourceuncertainties during the analysis and design process. The dissertation provides comprehensive insights on the effect of source-uncertainties on composites following an efficient, yet practically relevant modelling approach.

by Siu Wing Hon. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Siu Wing Hon. / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii / Publication List --- p.iv / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / References --- p.6 / Chapter 2 --- Real-Space Renormalization Group (RG) Theory in Electrical Conduction --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1 --- Scale Invariance --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- Critical Exponents --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Alternative View-Point of RG Theory --- p.15 / References --- p.18 / Chapter 3 --- "Weakly Nonlinear Composites: Critical Behavior, Flicker Noise and Crossover Behavior" --- p.19 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.19 / Chapter 3.2 --- Formalism --- p.20 / Chapter 3.3 --- Critical Exponents by RG Method --- p.22 / Chapter 3.4 --- Connection to Flicker Noise Problem and Crossover Behavior --- p.25 / Chapter 3.5 --- Discussions and Conclusions --- p.27 / References --- p.28 / Chapter 4 --- Critical Behavior of Strongly Nonlinear Composites --- p.30 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2 --- Formalism --- p.31 / Chapter 4.3 --- Applications of RG Theory to Strongly Nonlinear Composites --- p.32 / Chapter 4.4 --- Connections with Links-Nodes-Blobs picture --- p.36 / Chapter 4.5 --- Discussions and Conclusions --- p.39 / References --- p.41 / Chapter 5 --- "Enhanced Nonlinear Response of Superconductor-Normal-conductor Composite Wires, Strips and Rods" --- p.43 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.43 / Chapter 5.2 --- Formalism --- p.45 / Chapter 5.3 --- Linear and Nonlinear Responses of Composite Wires --- p.46 / Chapter 5.4 --- Linear and Nonlinear Response of Composite Strips --- p.49 / Chapter 5.5 --- Linear and Nonlinear Responses of Composite Rods --- p.56 / Chapter 5.6 --- Scaling Behaviors --- p.59 / Chapter 5.7 --- Discussions and Conclusions --- p.63 / References --- p.64 / Chapter 6 --- Renormalized Effective Medium Theory for Weakly Nonlinear Composites --- p.66 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.66 / Chapter 6.2 --- Weakly Nonlinear Conductance Network --- p.69 / Chapter 6.3 --- Simulation --- p.70 / Chapter 6.4 --- Effective Medium Approximation --- p.76 / Chapter 6.5 --- Renormalized Effective Medium Approximation --- p.79 / Chapter 6.6 --- Discussion and Conclusions --- p.81 / References --- p.83 / Chapter 7 --- Conclusions --- p.86 / Chapter A --- Derivation of Voltage-Summation Formulas --- p.88 / Chapter B --- Effective Linear and Nonlinear Response of 2 x 2 cell --- p.92 / Chapter C --- Duality Symmetry in 2D Network --- p.97 / Chapter D --- Derivation of Effective-Medium Approximation --- p.99