It is highly desirable to be able to make predictions of properties in metallic materials based upon the composition of the material and the microstructure. Unfortunately, the complexity of real, multi-component, multi-phase engineering alloys makes the provision of constituent-based (i.e., composition or microstructure) phenomenological equations extremely difficult. Due to these difficulties, qualitative predictions are frequently used to study the influence of microstructure or composition on the properties. Neural networks were used as a tool to get a quantitative model from a database. However, the developed model is not a phenomenological model. In this study, a new method based upon the integration of three separate modeling approaches, specifically artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, and monte carlo was proposed. These three methods, when coupled in the manner described in this study, allows for the extraction of phenomenological equations with a concurrent analysis of uncertainty. This approach has been applied to a multi-component, multi-phase microstructure exhibiting phases with varying spatial and morphological distributions. Specifically, this approach has been applied to derive a phenomenological equation for the prediction of yield strength in a+b processed Ti-6-4. The equation is consistent with not only the current dataset but also, where available, the limited information regarding certain parameters such as intrinsic yield strength of pure hexagonal close-packed alpha titanium.

Ce travail de thèse porte sur l’étude et la mise en évidence de relations microstructure-propriétés dans des revêtements modèles à base époxy représentatifs de peinture anticorrosion. Ces relations sont établies aussi bien à l’état initial que lors de vieillissements hygrothermiques. Cette étude a tout d’abord consisté à caractériser les propriétés physico-chimiques et mécaniques du système stœchiométrique DGEBA/DAMP totalement réticulé. Ces propriétés ont été comparées à celles du système DGEBA/TETA et ont permis de montrer la forte influence de la microstructure sur ces propriétés initiales. Des vieillissements hygrothermiques cycliques à différentes températures sur films libres ont été effectués pour mesurer l’impact de la microstructure sur la durabilité des systèmes époxy. Ces travaux ont pu montrer l’influence des interactions eau-polymère dans les phénomènes de diffusion. De plus, les évolutions de certaines propriétés physico-chimiques et mécaniques ont pu être caractérisées à l’aide de la DMA (mors submersibles), lors des différentes étapes de sorption-désorption. Un comportement pseudo-fickien a pu être mis en évidence lors de la première sorption, suivi d’un comportement fickien lors des autres étapes. Les causes inhérentes à cette évolution ont pu être avancées, en mettant en jeu des réorganisations microstructurales des systèmes époxy étudiés. D’autres vieillissements hygrothermiques ont été réalisés à l’aide de la SIE sur des revêtements pour étudier l’effet de l’interface revêtement/substrat acier sur les phénomènes de diffusion, notamment le rôle des contraintes résiduelles. L’influence de la contrainte visco-élastique sur les phénomènes de prise en eau des revêtements a finalement été étudiée. / This work highlights the microstructure-properties relations inside representative epoxy based model coatings for anticorrosion paints. These relations have been established for the initial state as well as the hygrothermal ageing. First, we characterised physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the totally crosslinked DGEBA/DAMP stoichiometric system. These properties have been compared to the DGEBA/TETA system and they showed the strong influence of the microstructure on these initial properties. Cyclic hygrothermal ageing have been completed at different temperatures on free films, in order to measure the impact of the microstructure on the durability of epoxy systems. This work has shown the influence of the water-polymer interactions on diffusion phenomena. Moreover, the evolutions of several physico-chemical and mechanical properties have been characterised using DMA (submersible clamps), during different sorption-desorption steps. A pseudo-fickian behaviour has been evidenced during the first sorption, and it was followed by a fickian behaviour for all other steps. The inherent causes of this evolution have been proposed, by considering microstructural reorganisations of the studied epoxy systems. Other hygrothermal ageing have been carried out using EIS on coatings, in order to study the effects of the coating/steel substrate interface on diffusion phenomena, especially the role of residual stresses. We finally studied the influence of the visco-elastic stress on the coating water intake phenomena.

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing technology. In this thesis, a heat-treatable Al-3.5Cu-1.5Mg-1Si alloy and related materials (composites and hybrid materials) have been successfully fabricated by selective laser melting and characterized in terms of densification, microstructure, heat treatment, mechanical properties as well as tribological and corrosion behavior. Firstly, the fully dense SLM Al-Cu-Mg-Si alloy was fabricated by SLM successfully. The alloy shows a higher yield strength than SLM Al-12Si alloy, and lower wear resistance and corrosion rate than commercial 2024 alloy before and after T6 heat treatment. Secondly, with the aim of designing new alloy compositions and to examine the phases and microstructures of SLM Al-Cu alloys and to correlate their microstructures with the observed mechanical properties, Al-xCu (x = 4.5, 6, 20, 33 and 40 wt. %) alloys have been synthesized in-situ by SLM from mixtures of Al-4.5Cu and Cu powders. The results indicate that the insufficient Cu solute diffusion during the layer-by-layer processing results in an inhomogeneous microstructure around the introduced Cu powders. With increasing Cu content, the Al2Cu phase in the alloys increases improving the strength of the material. These results show that powder mixtures can be used for the synthesis of SLM composites but the reaction between the matrix and the second-phase should be considered carefully. Thirdly, the TiB2/Al-Cu-Mg-Si composite was also designed and fabricated successfully by SLM and it shows a higher strength than the unreinforced SLM alloy before and after T6 heat treatment. Finally, an Al-12Si/Al-3.5Cu-1.5Mg-1Si hybrid with a good interface was fabricated successfully. This hybrid alloy shows a good yield strength and elongation at room temperature, indicating an effective potential of selective laser melting in the field of hybrid manufacturing.

La rupture différée d’un composite SiC/SiC a été étudiée en fatigue statique, sous air, aux températures intermédiaires (500°C-800°C). Les résultats expérimentaux (durée de vie, loi de comportement en traction, déformation) et les fractographies ont permis d’identifier les modes de rupture de fibre qui interviennent dans la rupture différée. Un modèle mécanique probabiliste multiéchelle a été développé pour simuler le comportement en fatigue et prévoir la durée de vie. La microstructure est décrite par des distributions statistiques identifiées à partir des résultats de l’étude fractographique. Des diagrammes d’endurance du composite en fatigue ont été calculés pour prévoir la durée de vie. Ces derniers confirment que la tenue du composite est dictée par les fils. La modélisation montre que la microstructure joue un rôle déterminant sur la durée de vie et sa variabilité. Des relations microstructures-propriétés sont établies. Le lien entre contrainte résiduelle et durée de vie est également examiné. Une approche fiabiliste sur les échantillons à information faible est menée à l’aide de l’inférence bayésienne. Les résultats concordent avec l’approche mécanique. / Delayed failure of SiC/SiC woven composite is studied under static fatigue, in air, for intermediate temperatures (500°C – 800°C). Experimental results and fractographic examination are used to identify damage mechanisms. A multi-scale probabilistic facture based model is proposed to simulate damage kinetics in longitudinal tows. Microstructure is described with appropriate statistical distributions identified on fractographic investigations. Simulations demonstrate a significant effect of the microstructure on the lifetime of the tows. Microstructure – properties relations are established.