At the heart of all materials lies a microstructure (i.e. fibres, grains, crystals, atoms, etc.). These distinct constituents can have their own physical laws and mechanical properties that are dependent on their size, shape, orientation and composition. Micromechanics is the analysis of how these individual elements interact with each other to form the material’s behaviour at continuum level. Understanding these interactions is key for a material’s successful implementation and suitability for industrial applications.
CMRG is a world leading research group in the field of virtual experimentation through crystal plasticity. We are developing physics-based models with crystal plasticity to capture the local deformation behaviour of next generation metallic (high strength aluminum, advanced high strength steel, magnesium) alloys. CMRG also develops new mechanics-based models for non-metallic (fibre reinforced polymers, sheet molding compound) composites for use in automotive structures. We develop new computation strategies (e.g., Fast Fourier rransforms) that allow us to simulate these complex phenomenon with relative ease and efficiency. These techniques allows us to characterize the mechanical behaviour of materials without the need of extensive experimental testing.
Our research areas for micromechanics
- Computational methods for plasticity
- Homogenization techniques
- Precipitation hardening
- Transformation induced plasticity (TRIP)
- Twinning induced plasticity (TWIP)
Selected publications
- Nagra, J.S., Brahme, A., Lebensohn, R.A. and Inal, K., 2017. Efficient fast Fourier transform-based numerical implementation to simulate large strain behavior of polycrystalline materials. International Journal of Plasticity.
- Muhammad, W., Brahme, A.P., Kang, J., Mishra, R.K. and Inal, K., 2017.Experimental and numerical investigation of texture evolution and the effects of intragranular backstresses in aluminum alloys subjected to large strain cyclic deformation. International Journal of Plasticity, 93, pp.137-163.
- Sabiston, T., Mohammadi, M., Cherkaoui, M., Levesque, J. and Inal, K., 2016. Micromechanics for a long fibre reinforced composite model with a functionally graded interphase. Composites Part B: Engineering, 84, pp.188-199.
- Popova, E., Staraselski, Y., Brahme, A., Mishra, R.K. and Inal, K., 2015. Coupled crystal plasticity–Probabilistic cellular automata approach to model dynamic recrystallization in magnesium alloys. International Journal of Plasticity, 66, pp.85-102.
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