Mapping the coupled role of structure and materials in mechanics of platelet-matrix composites

• Published in: Journal of the mechanics and physics of solids Vol. 112; pp. 169 - 186
• Main Authors: Farzanian, Shafee, Shahsavari, Rouzbeh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Biomedical materials; Combinatorial analysis; Composite materials; Computer simulation; Decoding; Decoupling; Design guidelines; Finite element analysis; Finite element method; Fracture; Fracture toughness; Mechanical properties; Microstructure; Nacre; Numerical modeling; Parameters; Plastic properties; Platelet-matrix composites; Stiffness; Studies; Toughening; Numerical modeling; Mechanical properties; Fracture; Design guidelines; Platelet-matrix composites
• ISSN: 0022-5096; 1873-4782
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmps.2017.11.020

Despite significant progresses on understanding and mimicking the delicate nano/microstructure of biomaterials such as nacre, decoding the indistinguishable merger of materials and structures in controlling the tradeoff in mechanical properties has been long an engineering pursuit. Herein, we focus on an archetype platelet-matrix composite and perform ∼400 nonlinear finite element simulations to decode the complex interplay between various structural features and material characteristics in conferring the balance of mechanical properties. We study various combinatorial models expressed by four key dimensionless parameters, i.e. characteristic platelet length, matrix plasticity, platelet dissimilarity, and overlap offset, whose effects are all condensed in a new unifying parameter, defined as the multiplication of strength, toughness, and stiffness over composite volume. This parameter, which maximizes at a critical characteristic length, controls the transition from intrinsic toughening (matrix plasticity driven without crack growths) to extrinsic toughening phenomena involving progressive crack propagations. This finding, combined with various abstract volumetric and radar plots, will not only shed light on decoupling the complex role of structure and materials on mechanical performance and their trends, but provides important guidelines for designing lightweight staggered platelet-matrix composites while ensuring the best (balance) of their mechanical properties.