It is of theoretical and engineering interest to establish a macro-mechanical constitutive model of the shape memory polymer (SMP), which includes the mechanical constitutive equation and the material parameter function, from the viewpoint of practical application. In this paper, a new three-dimensional macro-mechanical constitutive equation, which describes the mechanical behaviors associated with the shape memory effect of SMP, is developed based on solid mechanics and the viscoelasticity theorem. According to the results of the DMA test, a new material parameter function is established to express the relationship of the material parameters and temperature during the glass transition of SMP. The new macro-mechanical constitutive equation and material parameter function are used to numerically simulate the process producing the shape memory effect of SMP, which includes deforming at high temperature, stress freezing, unloading at low temperature and shape recovery. They are also used to investigate and analyze the influences of loading rate and temperature change rate on the thermo-mechanical behaviors of SMP. The numerical results and the comparisons with Zhou’s material parameter function and Tobushi’s mechanical constitutive equation illustrate that the proposed three-dimensional macro-mechanical constitutive model can effectively predict the thermo-mechanical behaviors of SMP under the state of complex stress.
Shape memory alloy ( SMA) torsion actuator is one of the key approaches realizing adaptive wings in airplanes. In this paper,the actuator is made up of SMA wires and a thin-walled tube,in which the SMA wires are twisted and affixed around the surface of the tube at an angle referenced to the center axis of the tube. A thermo-mechanical constitutive model is developed to predict the thermo-mechanical behaviors of the SMA torsion actuator based on the knowledge of solid mechanics. The relationship between the torsion-angle and tem- perature is numerically calculated by using the thermo-mechanical constitutive model coupled with the SMA phase transformation model developed by Zhou and Yoon. The numerical results are compared with the relative experimental results finished by Xiong and Shen. Influences of the twist-angle of SMA wires and geometrical factors on the primary actuation performances of the SMA torsion actuator are also numerically investigated based on the thermo-mechanical constitutive model coupled with the SMA phase transformation model developed by Zhou and Yoon. Results show that the thermo-mechanical constitutive model can well predict the thermo-mechanical behaviors of the SMA torsion actuator.
It is of practical interest to establish a precise constitutive model which includes the equations describing the phase transformation behaviors and thermo-mechanical processes of shape memory alloy (SMA). The microscopic mechanism of super elasticity and shape memory effect of SMA is explained based on the concept of shape memory factor defined by the author of this paper. The conventional super elasticity and shape memory effect of SMA are further unified as shape memory effect. Shape memory factor is redefined in order to make clear its physical meaning. A new shape memory evolution equation is developed to predict the phase transformation behaviors of SMA based on the differential relationship between martensitic volume fraction and phase transformation free energy and the results of DSC test. It overcomes the limitations that the previous shape memory evolution equations or phase transformation equations fail to express the influences of the phase transformation peak temperatures on the phase transformation behaviors and the transformation from twinned martensite to detwinned martensite occurring in SMA. A new macro-mechanical constitutive equation is established to predict the thermo-mechanical processes realizing the shape memory effect of SMA from the expression of Gibbs free energy. It is expanded from one-dimension to three-dimension with assuming SMA as isotropic material. All material constants in the new constitutive equation can be determined from macroscopic experiments, which makes it more easily used in practical applications.
Description on dynamic behaviours of crack-tips is one of the important foundations to develop a reasonable dynamic fracture criterion. In order to describe the dynamic behaviours of the crack-tip in a material with low viscosity-number, the displacement potential function is assumed as a mathematical expression with exponential singularity. The asymptotic linear differential equations determining plane crack-tip field are established based on the mechanical constitutive model for elastic-viscoplastic materials. According to the conditions of determining solutions for dynamic cracks of mode II, the crack-tip stress fields are numerically simulated based on the asymptotic linear differential equations. Results show the asymptotic linear equations can well describe the crack-tip fields of plane dynamic cracks in the elastic-viscoplastic material with low viscosity-number.
This paper presents a macroscopic constitutive model reproducing the hysteretic behaviors of the superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA) under cyclic loading. The progressive increase of residual strain with the increased cycle number in such materials is assumed to be a consequence of the progressive increase of residual stress-induced martensitic volume fraction upon the cyclic effects. The progressive decrease of phase transformation critical stresses with the increased cycle number in such materials is assumed to be a result from the progressive increase of phase transformation critical temperatures upon the cyclic effects. A cyclic evolution equation is supposed to describe the influences of cycle effects on the material properties of the SMA under cyclic loading. A phase transformation equation expressing the phase transformation behaviors of the SMA under cyclic loading is established based on the differential relationship between martensitic volume fraction and the free energy increment of phase transformation. A mechanical constitutive equation predicting the mechanical characteristics of the SMA under cyclic loading is developed on the basis of thermodynamics and continuum mechanics. The cyclic evolution equation, phase transformation equation, and mechanical constitutive equation together compose the presented macroscopic constitutive model considering cyclic effects. Results of the numerical simulations illustrate that it can well reproduce the superelastic hysteretic behaviors of the SMA under cyclic loading.
