It is well established that cracking induced by Ti-Ni intermetallic compounds (IMCs) severely compromises the application of Ti-Ni bimetallic alloys in extreme environments. However, recent research has demonstrated that reducing the size of these originally detrimental IMCs from the micrometer to the nanometer scale can enhance the plasticity and strength of the metal. To investigate the effects of nanoscale IMCs on the deformation mechanisms of Ti-Ni bimetallic alloys under high strain, we employed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the mechanical deformation mechanisms of two common IMCs at the interface of Ti-Ni bimetallic alloys, namely Ti2Ni and TiNi3, and their influence on the interfacial bonding strength of the alloy. Both lamellar and particulate configurations were considered.The results of uniaxial tensile tests reveal that Ti2Ni undergoes atomic-scale rearrangement after yielding, exhibiting high ductility but low strength. In contrast, TiNi3 is highly brittle and exhibits limited slip. In the context of Ti-Ni bimetallic alloys, the interface between lamellar Ti2Ni and the Ti layer is highly susceptible to stress concentration due to the lack of long-range order in the Ti2Ni structure. The semi-coherent interface between lamellar TiNi3 and the Ti layer is the primary cause of brittleness at the Ti-Ni interface. Additionally, the presence of particulate IMCs acts as dislocation sources, activating slip in the Ni layer, thereby enhancing overall plasticity at the expense of some strength.Our simulation work provides a potential approach for designing high-performance Ti-Ni bimetallic alloys and elucidates the deformation mechanisms of Ti2Ni and TiNi3 within the alloy matrix.
Understanding the influence of high-strength submicron precipitate on the fracture performance of additively-manufactured aluminum alloy
Li Cao, Renyi Lu, Zheng Dou, Min Zheng, Xiao Han, Yu Hao, Li Zhang, Jinfang Zhang, Bin Liu, Xiaofeng Li
doi:10.1016/j.ijplas.2025.104306
了解高强度亚微米析出物对增材铝合金断裂性能的影响
The formation of intermetallic compound has been widely considered as an effective strengthening approach in Al alloy. Its precipitate dimension is a key factor influencing the mechanical performance. Except for the pinning effect of nanosized precipitate, the contribution of submicron precipitate is also nonnegligible. Therefore, establishing the mechanism framework for the relationship of manufacturing process-precipitate structure-fracture performance is of great significance, which is essential and foundational for optimizing the practical service performance of alloys parts. Herein, by taking the Al-Cu-Ni series alloy (e.g. RR350) as background, the study reveals the microstructure evolution of high-strength submicron Al7Cu4Ni precipitate from fabrication (additive manufacturing-heat treatment) to failure, and its influence mechanism on the fracture behavior. Through the microstructure regulation, a high elongation rate of ∼28.5% and slightly-deteriorated ultimate tensile strength of ∼305.2 MPa are achieved. The in-situ and ex-situ characterizations are employed to analyze the synergy mechanism of strength-ductility performance. Some novel findings are obtained that the submicron grain-boundary precipitates can interrupt the intergranular crack by influencing the stress status, thus decreasing the crack propagation rate and altering its propagation pathways. The entangled dislocation also presents an obstruction impact on the intragranular crack extension by its hardening effect. Moreover, the submicron Al7Cu4Ni precipitates with high bonding strength can withstand the concentrated stress to maintain a stable structure during alloy fracture, meanwhile present a strengthening effect on α-Al matrix to ameliorate the deterioration of tensile strength. The characterization of dislocation and microcrack evolution, provides direct evidence to the mechanism framework above, and could also provide insights into the strength-ductility coordination for other Al alloys.
A stochastic multiscale asymptotic homogenization approach to 3D printed biodegradable resin TPMS bio-inspired structures
Tien-Dat Hoang, Thinh H. Ngo, Kim Q. Tran, Shaofan Li, H. Nguyen-Xuan
doi:10.1016/j.tws.2025.113100
3D打印生物可降解树脂TPMS仿生结构的随机多尺度渐近均质化方法
Gyroid (G), Primitive (P), and IWP porous structures, belonging to the category of complex triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) architectures, exhibit diverse applications across various physical domains. These intricately designed structures, inspired by biological architectures, are increasingly gaining attention in 3D printing because they fulfill the biological and mechanical requirements necessary for natural reconstruction. This paper promotes a novel computational framework for TPMS structures using a stochastic multiscale homogenization (SMH) method, which not only effectively predicts the homogenized engineering constants, microscopic strains, and damage propagation, but also accounts for their natural uncertainties. For computing a nonlinear problem on a standard desktop computer, the preconditioned element-by-element scaled conjugate gradient (EBE-SCG) method has been used to solve these stochastic models, particularly for intricate TPMS structures. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the present approach, the behaviors of the three above TPMS types with different layer levels, ranging from one to three within the same cell size, are automatically designed, formulated, and analyzed using an in-house Fortran code. This is a first attempt to demonstrate that the simulated stochastic homogenization predictions closely align with the experimental compressive Young’s modulus and damage behaviors of 3D-printed TPMS specimens made from a biodegradable resin, polyamide (PLA), using a vat photopolymerization printing process. The relative errors in the mean values, ranging from 2.45 to 11.25%, are attributed to uncertainties in the printed models involving small uncertainties. Notably, the stochastic approach effectively captures both the uncertainty and the probabilistic nature of the mechanical properties, with measured values falling within the predicted distributions. Moreover, this research framework enables more efficient design and fabrication of TPMS-based bio-inspired structures with potential applications in mechanical, civil, aerospace, engineering, etc., especially biomedical engineering.
Lightweight design has emerged as a valuable research focus in tensegrity structures, gaining increasing attention across various engineering domains that prioritize weight reduction. While many existing studies have concentrated on the lightweight design of conventional tensegrity structures, relatively little attention has been paid to those derived from modular assembly. This study focuses on a specific type of modular tensegrity chain structure (TCS) and presents a comprehensive framework for its lightweight design. The proposed framework innovatively integrates three critical design aspects: prestress determination, configuration design, and topology optimization, while simultaneously accounting for various design constraints under both prestress and load states. This framework is formulated as a bilevel optimization model. Prestress optimization is first performed at the internal level and then incorporated into the external-level model for configuration design and topology optimization. Subsequently, improved hybrid algorithms are also introduced to solve the optimization problem. Three representative numerical examples are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework and solving algorithms. The results demonstrate that this comprehensive approach achieves significant mass reduction compared to single-aspect designs. The proposed framework offers a more holistic and efficient solution for lightweight TCS design, showcasing its potential for enhancing the performance and efficiency of modular tensegrity structures in engineering applications.
Experimental and numerical study on lateral-torsional buckling of welded QN1803 high-strength stainless steel I-girders
Youtian Wang, Boshan Chen, Peng Dai, Yuanqing Wang, Yuchen Song, Ke Jiang, Letian Hai
doi:10.1016/j.tws.2025.113190
焊接QN1803高强不锈钢工字梁侧扭屈曲试验与数值研究
Recently, high-strength stainless steel, known as QN1803, has gained popularity in the steel industry due to its lower nickel content, approximately 2.0%, which makes it more cost-effective than traditional EN 1.4401 stainless steel. The moment capacities of such thin-walled I-girders are influenced by lateral-torsional buckling (LTB) when they are not laterally restrained adequately. However, existing studies have not yet investigated the lateral-torsional buckling behaviour of such I-girders. This issue is addressed in this study. An experimental program was conducted, reporting a total of six experimental results. Traditional four-point bending tests were performed to measure the displacement versus load relationship at the mid-span. An advanced numerical model considering the initial geometric imperfection and residual stresses was established and calibrated against the test results the authors and other researchers reported. Subsequently, a parametric study including 66 FE models was undertaken. The test results indicated that the lateral-torsional buckling strength of QN1803 high-strength stainless steel I-girders increased by 27% on average compared to commonly used EN 1.4401 stainless steel. The obtained test and parametric study results were further used to evaluate the design methods outlined in Australian Standard AS4100 (2016), European code (EN 1993-1-1) (2022) and AISC 360-22 (2022). The comparison revealed that the current design specifications are inadequate for accurately predicting the lateral-torsional buckling strength of such I-girders.