Combining X-Ray Microtomography with the Finite Elements Method to Study Damage and Cracking in Stuctural Materials

摘要

The increasing popularity and capability of X-ray tomography to image cracks and damage in three dimensions in a non destructive fashion brings forward a new way to validate large scale material failure simulations. A wide range of crack propagation case studies will be presented, ranging from cracks in notched polymer specimens and structural aluminum alloys to short crack propagation in a titanium alloy polycrystal. The incredibly rich knowledge brought at the micron scale by in situ imaging using either absorption, phase or diffraction contrasts, while the crack progresses, can often serve as direct input for full field simulations. Cracking mechanisms, direction and growth rate can therefore be tested and modeled at the appropriate scale(crazing in polymer materials, crystal plasticity in individual grains or linear elastic fracture mechanics for larger cracks). Meshing strategies and high performance computing will also be discussed.