Development and characterization of an impact-resilient 3D nano-reinforced fiber metal laminate composite

全球汽车行业最近面临的挑战是到2025年将汽车的现有燃油效率提高近100%。最重要的策略之一是减轻车辆的重量，同时遵守所需的耐撞性。为了应对上述挑战，所提出的研究旨在开发一种混合复合材料，该混合复合材料（i）重量相对较轻，（ii）提供所需的刚度和强度，（iii）提供显著的耐撞性，并且（iv）相对具有成本效益。这种新材料利用了轻质金属合金和相对便宜的FRP的结合来应对挑战。换句话说，最近开发的真正新颖的3D玻璃织物与轻质镁合金（MgA）板（比钢轻75%）组合以产生示例性纤维-金属层压复合材料（FML）。为了增强这种独特的复合材料面板的性能，3D织物内的空腔可以填充轻质泡沫。* 但是，在车辆中考虑此FML之前，必须彻底了解其在临界负载条件下的性能。在过去的三年里，我们一直在研究各种配置的3D-FML在面外冲击载荷下的性能。我们最近开始研究面内脉冲载荷下的FML性能。我们的初步研究表明，MgA和FRP之间的界面粘结质量对FML的屈曲和屈曲后响应有显着的影响。因此，为了使所述FML的性能最大化，将使用最佳官能化的廉价纳米碳颗粒（即，石墨烯片晶）来经济有效地增强界面的弹性。此外，促进在未来应用中使用所开发的3D-FML的关键因素是预测FML在临界负载条件（例如，轴向冲击），并产生实际的设计曲线，这将使执业工程师实现不同配置的3D-FML为给定的应用。这些任务必须分两个阶段完成。在第一阶段中，影响FML响应的各个方面应在数字上表征。为了优化MgA/FRP界面的性能，我们将进一步提高我们小组过去三年开发的数值框架的预测能力，其中包括有效使用内聚区模型（CZM）。为此，我们打算使用相对最近开发的“扩展有限元法”（XFEM）。因此，这部分研究的基本目的是获得XFEM的经验，并研究用于将FRP与MgA板相匹配的树脂中GNP的影响，并优化粘结强度。 **

The global automotive industry has been recently challenged to increase the current fuel efficiency of automobiles by nearly 100% by 2025. One of the most important strategies has been to reduce the weight of vehicles, yet adhering tp the required crashworthiness.******In response to the above challenge, the proposed research aims at developing a hybrid composite material that is (i) relatively light-weight, (ii) provides the required stiffness and strength (iii) offers remarkable crashworthiness and (iv) yet, it is relatively cost-effective. The new material takes advantages of the marriage of a light-weight metallic alloy and a relatively inexpensive FRP to address the challenge. In other words, a recently developed truly novel 3D glass fabric is combined with light-weight magnesium alloy (MgA) sheets (75% lighter than steel) to produce an exemplary fiber-metal laminate composite (FML). To augment the performance of this unique composite panel, the cavities within the 3D-fabric could be filled with a light-weight foam. ***However, before this FML can be considered in vehicles, one must gain a thorough understanding of its performance under critical loading conditions. In past three years, we have been investigating the performance of various configurations of the 3D-FML under out-of-plane impact loading. Our investigation on performance of the FML under in-plane impulse loading has begun very recently. Our preliminary investigation has revealed that the quality of the interface bond between MgA and FRP has a significant effect on the buckling and post-buckling response of the FML. Therefore, to maximize the performance of the said FML, optimally functionalized inexpensive nanocarbon particles (namely, graphene platelets), will be used to economically and effectively enhance the resiliency of the interfaces.***Moreover, a key factor in promoting the use of the developed 3D-FML in future applications is the ability to predict the performance of the FML under critical loading conditions (e.g., axial impact), and generation of practical design curves, which will enable practicing engineers to implement differently configured 3D-FMLs for a given application. These tasks would have to be done in two stages. In the first stage, various aspects affecting the response of the FML should be characterized numerically. To optimize the performance of MgA/FRP interface, we will further improve the predictive capability of the numerical framework developed in past three years within our group, which included the effective use of the cohesive zone modeling (CZM). For that we intend to use the relatively recently developed “extended finite element method” (XFEM). Therefore, the basic aim of this part of the proposed research is to gain experience with XFEM, and investigate the effects of GNP inclusion in the resin used to mate FRP to MgA sheets, and to optimize the bond strength. **