Multiscale 3D finite element analysis of aluminum matrix composites with nano&micro hybrid inclusions

The present work proposed a multiscale finite element (FE) analytical approach to investigate the mechanical behavior of elasto-plastic aluminum matrix composites reinforced with nano-micro hybrid inclusions. To study the effect of microstructural effects, 3D representative volume elements (RVEs) of nano-and micro-scales are established, where the nano-RVE considers the aluminum matrix with carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-reinforcement whose homogenization is treated as the equivalent matrix (EM) phase for micro-RVE with SiC particles. The FE based ABAQUS simulation is employed to recover the local stress distributions within RVE of either scales, and the corresponding effective stress-strain relationship, damage and failure behavior are calculated and predicted. Results generated from the present simulations are validated against the experimental measurement of CNTs/ SiC/Al composites and good agreement is generally obtained. What's more, several microstructural parameters are tested on the composites' effective behavior, including the elaso-plastic constitutive relation and damage response of aluminum matrix, the elastic-brittle failure mechanical behavior of the micro-scale SiC particles. We also consider the traction-separation mechanical behavior at the SiC-Al interface. It is demonstrated that the present numerical method is suitable to study the comprehensive behavior of composites with hybrid inclusions.