US-Tunisia Cooperative Research: Crack Problems in Functionally Graded Materials Under Thermo-Mechanical Loading

0080462 KeerDescription：该奖项是为了表彰由伊利诺伊州埃文斯顿西北大学土木工程系Leon Keer博士、宾夕法尼亚州伯利恒利哈伊大学机械工程系Fazil Erdogan博士和突尼斯拉马萨突尼斯理工学院土木工程系Sami El-Borgi博士共同发起的一项合作项目。他们计划合作研究功能梯度材料(FGM)。目前正在探索在高温应用中使用由功能梯度材料制成的非均匀涂层作为传统均匀陶瓷涂层的替代方案的可能性。这三个机构的科学家将考虑一些基准的二维裂纹问题，涉及陶瓷-金属功能梯度材料在热和机械载荷下的断裂。目的是研究功能梯度材料的非均匀参数对裂纹驱动力的影响，以便更好地了解级配材料的性能和设计。将使用两种方法，一种是分析方法，一种是数值方法，以比较结果和发展忠实的数值预测能力。范围：该奖项将允许具有互补能力和经验的突尼斯和美国科学家之间的合作。这两位美国科学家在各自的领域都是杰出的，并在与该问题相关的领域发表了大量论文。这位突尼斯合作者在美国一所著名大学获得博士学位，并在突尼斯和美国进行过研究，因此获得了良好的出版记录。另外两名突尼斯人将参与这项研究，一名是在法国完成学业的女科学家，包括在法国获得博士学位的女科学家，另一名是博尔吉博士所在系的博士生。他们将第一次接触到美国的研究资源和方法。该项目为加强与突尼斯的合作提供了一种可行的方法，由于法语作为科学家最常用的外语占主导地位，突尼斯与美国的互动有限。这项建议符合INT在互利领域加强国际科学合作的目标。

0080462KeerDescription: This award is for support of a cooperative project by Dr. Leon Keer, Department of Civil Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Dr. Fazil Erdogan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Dr. Sami El-Borgi, Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic School of Tunisia, La Marsa, Tunisia. They plan to collaborate in research on functionally graded materials (FGM). The possibility of using nonhomogeneous coatings made of FGMs is currently being explored as an alternative to the conventional homogeneous ceramic coatings in high-temperature applications. The scientists at the three institutions will consider a number of benchmark two-dimensional crack problems involving fracture of ceramic-metal FGMs under thermal and mechanical loading. The objective is to study the effect of FGM nonhomogeneity parameters on the crack driving forces for the purpose of gaining better understanding on the behavior and design of graded materials. Two approaches will be used, an analytical approach and a numerical approach, to allow comparison of the results and development of a faithful numerical predictive capability.Scope: This award will permit collaboration between Tunisian and US scientists who have complementary capabilities and experience. The two US scientists are eminent in their fields and are highly published in areas related to the problem. The Tunisian collaborator received his Ph.D. at a prestigious US university and has conducted research both in Tunisia and in the United States, with a resulting strong publication record. Two other Tunisians, one a female scientist who completed her education, including a Ph.D., in France and the second a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. El-Borgi's department, will participate in this research. They will be exposed for the first time to research resources and methods in the United States. This project presents a viable means to increase collaboration with Tunisia, where interaction with the United States is limited because of the dominance of French as the foreign language most used by scientists. This proposal meets the INT objective of increasing international scientific collaboration in areas of mutual benefit.