• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2009

In this study, alumina matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated by ultrasonic dispersion, ball milling, mixing, compaction, and sintering processes, and their relative density, electrical resistance, hardness, flexure strength, and fracture toughness were evaluated. 0~3 vol.% of CNTs were relatively homogeneously dispersed in the composites in spite of the existence of some pores. The three-point bending test results indicated that the flexure strength increased with increasing volume fraction of CNTs, and reached the maximum when the CNT fraction was 1.5 vol.%. The fracture toughness increased as the CNT fraction increased, and the fracture toughness of the composite containing 3 vol.% of CNTs was higher by 40% than that of the monolithic alumina. According to observation of the crack propagation path after the indentation fracture test, a new toughening mechanism of grain interface bridging-induced CNT bridging was suggested to explain the improvement of fracture toughness in the alumina matrix composites reinforced with CNTs.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.296-303
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• 2008

Hydrogen permeation through dense palladium-based membranes has attracted the attention of many scientists largely due to their unmatched potential as hydrogen-selective membranes for membrane reactor applications. Although it is well known that the permeation mechanism of hydrogen through Pd involves various processes such as dissociative adsorption, transitions to and from the bulk Pd, diffusion within Pd, and recombinative desorption, it is still unclear which process mainly limits hydrogen permeation at a given temperature and hydrogen partial pressure. In this study, we report an all-electron density-functional theory study of hydrogen permeation through Pd membrane (using VASP code). Especially, we focus on the variation of the energy barrier of the penetration process from the surface to the bulk with hydrogen coverage, which means the large reduction of the fracture stress in the brittle crack propagation considering Griffith's criterion. It is also found that the penetration energy barrier from the surface to the bulk largely decreases so that it almost vanishes at the coverage 1.25, which means that the penetration process cannot be the rate determining process.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.86 no.5
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• pp.607-619
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• 2023

This study, it was tried to evaluate the asphalt behavior under tensile loading conditions through indirect Brazilian and direct tensile tests, experimentally and numerically. This paper is important from two points of view. The first one, a new test method was developed for the determination of the direct tensile strength of asphalt and its difference was obtained from the indirect test method. The second one, the effects of particle size and loading rate have been cleared on the tensile fracture mechanism. The experimental direct tensile strength of the asphalt specimens was measured in the laboratory using the compression-to-tensile load converting (CTLC) device. Some special types of asphalt specimens were prepared in the form of slabs with a central hole. The CTLC device is then equipped with this specimen and placed in the universal testing machine. Then, the direct tensile strength of asphalt specimens with different sizes of ingredients can be measured at different loading rates in the laboratory. The particle flow code (PFC) was used to numerically simulate the direct tensile strength test of asphalt samples. This numerical modeling technique is based on the versatile discrete element method (DEM). Three different particle diameters were chosen and were tested under three different loading rates. The results show that when the loading rate was 0.016 mm/sec, two tensile cracks were initiated from the left and right of the hole and propagated perpendicular to the loading axis till coalescence to the model boundary. When the loading rate was 0.032 mm/sec, two tensile cracks were initiated from the left and right of the hole and propagated perpendicular to the loading axis. The branching occurs in these cracks. This shows that the crack propagation is under quasi-static conditions. When the loading rate was 0.064 mm/sec, mixed tensile and shear cracks were initiated below the loading walls and branching occurred in these cracks. This shows that the crack propagation is under dynamic conditions. The loading rate increases and the tensile strength increases. Because all defects mobilized under a low loading rate and this led to decreasing the tensile strength. The experimental results for the direct tensile strengths of asphalt specimens of different ingredients were in good accordance with their corresponding results approximated by DEM software.

• Composites Research
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.52-58
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• 2014

Short fiber reinforced composites manufactured by injection molding have diverse fiber orientations variable with measuring positions even in the same specimen, which is caused by the flow induced fiber orientation. Fiber orientations considerably affect the mechanical and thermal properties of final composite products. In this study, fiber orientation of injection molded carbon fiber reinforced PA6/PPO composite was measured at several points of the specimen by optical microscopy analysis and the corresponding izod impact strength, coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) were also measured to investigate the influence of local fiber orientation on the mechanical and thermal properties. Izod impact strength where fiber was perpendicular to the direction of crack propagation was higher than where fiber was parallel to the direction, which could be explained be the impact resistance reinforcing mechanism by fiber orientation. CTE was also lower where fiber was parallel to the measurement direction of CTE than where fiber was perpendicular to the direction, which could be also explained by the dimensional stability mechanism by fiber orientation.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.657-670
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• 2016

The energy dissipation of coal under dynamic loads is a major issue in geomechanics and arising extensive concerns recently. In this study, dynamic loading tests of coal were conducted using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system, the characteristics of dynamic behavior and energy dissipation of coal were analyzed, and the mechanism of energy dissipation was discussed based on the fracture processes of coal under dynamic loads. Experimental results indicate that the energy dissipation of coal under dynamic loads has a positive linear correlation with both incident energy and dynamic compressive strength, and the correlation coefficients between incident energy, dynamic compressive strength and the energy dissipation rate are 0.74 and 0.98, respectively. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that higher level of stress leads to greater energy released during unstable crack propagation, thus resulting in larger energy dissipation rate of coal under dynamic loads. At last, a semi-empirical energy dissipation model is proposed for describing the positive relationship between dissipated energy and stress.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-99
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• 2022

The two, NBD and SCB tests using gypsum circular discs each containing a single notch have been experimentally accomplished in a rock mechanics laboratory. These specimens have also been numerically modelled by a two-dimensional particle flow which is based on Discrete Element Method (DEM). Each testing specimen had a thickness of 5 cm with 10 cm in diameter. The specimens' lengths varied as 2, 3, and 4 cm; and the specimens' notch angles varied as 0°, 45° and 90°. Similar semi-circular gypsum specimens were also prepared each contained one edge notch with angles 0° or 45°. The uniaxial testing machine was used to perform the experimental tests for both NBD and SCB gypsum specimens. At the same time, the numerical simulation of these tests were performed by PFC2D. The experimental results showed that the failure mechanism of rocks is mainly affected by the orientations of joints with respect to the loading directions. The failure mechanism and fracturing patterns of the gypsum specimens are directly related to the final failure loading. It has been shown that the number of induced tensile cracks showing the specimens' tensile behavior, and increases by decreasing the length and angle of joints. It should be noted that the fracture toughness of rocks' specimens obtained by NBD tests was higher than that of the SCB tests. The fracture toughness of rocks usually increases with the increasing of joints' angles but increasing the joints' lengths do not change the fracture toughness. The numerical solutions and the experimental results for both NDB and SCB tests give nearly similar fracture patterns during the loading process.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.461-472
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• 2010

Objectives: This study evaluated microtensile bond strength (${\mu}TBS$) and short-rod fracture toughness to explain fractural behavior of repaired composite restorations according to different surface treatments. Materials and Methods: Thirty composite blocks for ${\mu}TBS$ test and sixty short-rod specimens for fracture toughness test were fabricated and were allocated to 3 groups according to the combination of surface treatment (none-treated, sand blasting, bur roughening). Each group was repaired immediately and 2 weeks later. Twenty-four hours later from repair, ${\mu}TBS$ and fracture toughness test were conducted. Mean values analyzed with two-way ANOVA / Tukey's B test ($\alpha$= 0.05) and correlation analysis was done between ${\mu}TBS$ and fracture toughness. FE-SEM was employed on fractured surface to examine the crack propagation. Results: The fresh composite resin showed higher ${\mu}TBS$ than the aged composite resin (p < 0.001). Mechanically treated groups showed higher bond strength than non-mechanically treated groups except none-treated fresh group in ${\mu}TBS$ (p < 0.05). The fracture toughness value of mechanically treated surface was higher than that of non-mechanically treated surface (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between fracture toughness and microtensile bond strength values. Specimens having high KIC showed toughening mechanism including crack deviation, microcracks and crack bridging in FE-SEM. Conclusions: Surface treatment by mechanical interlock is more important for effective composite repair, and the fracture toughness test could be used as an appropriate tool to examine the fractural behavior of the repaired composite with microtensile bond strength.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.289-302
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• 2016

A new kind of partially precast or prefabricated castellated steel reinforced concrete beam, which is abbreviated here as CPSRC beam, was presented and introduced in this paper. This kind of CPSRC beam is composed of a precast outer-part and a cast-in-place inner-part. The precast outer-part is composed of an encased castellated steel shape, reinforcement bars and high performance concrete. The cast-in-place inner-part is made of common strength concrete, and is casted with the floor slabs simultaneously. In order to investigate the shear performance of the CPSRC beam, experiments of six CPSRC T-beam specimens, together with experiments of one cast-in-place SRC control T-beam specimen were conducted. All the specimens were subjected to sagging bending moment (or positive moment). In the tests, the influence of casting different strength of concrete in the cross section on the shear performance of the PPSRC beam was firstly emphasized, and the effect of the shear span-to-depth ratio on that were also especially taken into account too. During the tests, the shear force-deflection curves were recorded, while the strains of concrete, the steel shapes as well as the reinforcement stirrups at the shear zone of the specimens were also measured, and the crack propagation pattern together with the failure pattern was as well observed in detail. Based on the test results, the shear failure mechanism was clearly revealed, and the effect of the concrete strength and shear span-to-depth ratios were investigated. The shear capacity of such kind of CPSRC was furthermore discussed, and the influences of the holes on the steel shape on the shear performance were particularly analyzed.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2018

A discrete element approach is used to investigate the effects of confining stress on the shear behaviour of joint's bridge area. A punch-through shear test is used to model the concrete cracks under different shear and confining stresses. Assuming a plane strain condition, special rectangular models are prepared with dimension of $75mm{\times}100mm$. Within the specimen model and near its four corners, four equally spaced vertical notches of the same depths are provided so that the central portion of the model remains intact. The lengths of notches are 35 mm. and these models are sequentially subjected to different confining pressures ranging from 2.5 to 15 MPa. The axial load is applied to the punch through the central portion of the model. This testing and models show that the failure process is mostly governed by the confining pressure. The shear strengths of the specimens are related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. The shear behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of induced shear bands which are increased by increasing the confining pressure while the cracks propagation lengths are decreased. The failure stress and the crack initiation stress both are increased due to confining pressure increase. As a whole, the mechanisms of brittle shear failure changes to that of the progressive failure by increasing the confining pressure.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.50-56
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• 2010

Fatigue has been known as a major degradation mechanism of ASME class 1 components in nuclear power plants. Fatigue damage could be accelerated by combined interaction of several loads and environmental factors. However, the environmental effect is not explicitly addressed in the ASME S-N curve which is based on air at room temperature. Therefore many studies have been performed to understand the environmental effects on fatigue behavior of materials used in nuclear power plants. As a part of efforts, we performed low cycle fatigue tests under various environmental conditions and analyzed the environmental effects on the fatigue life of SA508 Gr. 1a low alloy steel by comparing with higuchi's model. Test results show that the fatigue life depends on water temperature, dissolved oxygen and strain rate. But strain rate over 0.4%/s has little effect on the fatigue life. To find the cause of different fatigue life with ANL's and higuchi's model, another test performed with different heat numbered and heat treated materials of SA508 Gr. 1a. On a metallurgical point of view, the material with bainite microstructure shows much longer fatigue life than that with ferrite/pearlite microstructure. And the characteristics of crack propagation as different microstructure seem to be the main cause of different fatigue life.