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15 Viscoelastic Composites

15.1 Composite Analysis


15.1.1 Accurate Analysis
The theoretical basis of the analysis presented in this chapter is the finding
of Hashins [165, 166] that the complex stiffness (EC ) of a composite made of
viscoelastic phases (P, S) can be determined by the elastic counterpart composite stiffness (E), replacing phase stiffness (EP , ES ) with their respective
complex counterparts (EP C , ESC ).
Keeping in mind the significance of the analogy Youngs modulus previously introduced in Sect. 14.1.1, and re-calling the vibration analogy from
Sect. 14.1.2, Hashins observation means that the analogy Youngs modulus
of a composite material (E A ) can be obtained from the elastic counterpart
stiffness solution (E), replacing phase stiffness (EP , ES ) with their respective
analogy Youngs moduli (EPA , ESA ).
Having established the basic rheological property (E A ) of the composite
material we may proceed just as explained in Chap. 14 with the composite
material considered as a homogeneous viscoelastic material. A further conclusion which can be made from [165,166] and the concept presented in this book
of an analogy Youngs modulus, is that composite stress/strain solutions can
be established from Laplace transforming the elastic counterpart solutions
(Table 10.3) and replacing (EP , ES ) with (EPA , ESA ). A summary of results
such obtained from an analysis of composite materials is presented in Tables
15.1 and 15.2. Analogy Youngs moduli (EPA , ESA ) for various homogeneous
materials are presented in Sect. 14.2.
Remarks: The procedure presented in Table 15.1 of determining the creep
and relaxation functions for a composite material from the complex stiffness is very efficient using computers with the capability of handling complex
numbers. It is obvious how the experimental vibration analysis explained in
Sect. 14.1.2 can be used also in the research on composite geometry versus
viscoelasticity of composite materials.
With respect to the determination of creep- and relaxation functions we
re-call that only one of these functions are needed to predict the other one by
the basic (14.2).
In general the determination of internal stress and eigenstrain-stress as
expressed in Table 15.2 calls for numerical Laplace-inversions. Alternatively,
approximate solutions can be found as explained in the following section.
15.1.2 Approximate Analysis
A very simple approximate quasi-static analysis of viscoelastic composites can
be obtained from the elastic counterpart analysis explained in (15.1),


F FELAST P, EPEFF , ESEFF where FELAST = FELAST (P, EP , ES ) (15.1)

15.1 Composite Analysis

201

Table 15.1. Complex Youngs modulus, creep, and relaxation of composite material
determined from Youngs modulus of such material. Examples are composites made
of components exhibiting Power law viscoelasticity. [ ]P and [ ]S mean that E, b, and
in [ ] are subscripted as indicated
Youngs Modulus Analogy Youngs Modulus

Example

E = E(EP , ES ) E A = E A (s) = E(EPA , ESA )






( s)b
( s)b
A
A
EP = E
; ES = E
(1 + b) + ( s)b P
(1 + b) + ( s)b S
Analogy Youngs Modulus Complex Youngs Modulus

E A = E A (s) = E(EPA , ESA ) EC = E A (i) = E(EP C , ESC ) = ER () + iEI ()






(i )b
(i )b
Example
EP C = E
; ESC = E
b
b
(1 + b) + (i ) P
(1 + b) + (i ) S
Complex Youngs Modulus Relaxation and Crrep
1 cos(t)
d




1 + 2 J () 1 cos(t) d; J = EI
C(t) = E
I
I
2

|EC |
0
2
R(t) = E

EI ()

Or Analogy Youngs Modulus Relaxation and Creep






A
1 E
1
;
R(t)
=
L
C(t) = L1
s
sE A

Table 15.2. Internal stress from external load on, and eigenstrain/stress in composite material determined from analogy Youngs modulus of such material
A
A
A
Internal Stress from Ext-Load (eA = E A /E A
S ; n = EP /ES )


1/eA 1
(t) cP (t)
P (t) = 1c L1
; S (t) =
1c
1/nA 1

Eigenstrain/Stress (KSA ESA /1.8)




1/eA 1
(t) = L1 S +
with = P S
1/nA 1


A
A
1
A c(1/n 1) (1/e 1)
c (t)
P (t) = L
3KS
; S (t) = 1
c P
c(1/nA 1)2

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15 Viscoelastic Composites

where FELAST and F are the elastic and viscoelastic solutions respectively
to the problem considered. EPEFF and ESEFF are the effective Youngs moduli
explained in Sect. 14.3.1. Load (stress or strain) is denoted by P . In another
formulation the method was first suggested by Ross [158] as an easy way of
estimating the stress distribution in a composite structure made of concrete
and steel. An example of applying (15.1) in a composite analysis is explained
in (15.2). The elastic composite stiffness, E, is converted to the creep function
of the counterpart viscoelastic composite.


1
C(t) EFF with E EFF = E EPEFF , ESEFF where E = E(EP , ES ) (15.2)
E
Remark: The quality of composite solutions obtained by the composite
E EFF -method depends on the quality of EPEFF and EEFF
considered in Sect.
S
14.3.1. The load restrictions explained in this section must hold for each phase
also on a composite level. The authors (tentative) experience with respect
to the quality of E EFF -estimates is the following:
Estimates of reasonable accuracy can be obtained for the material properties, creep functions, creep stresses, eigenstress/strain properties. To get
a similar level of accuracy for estimated relaxation functions, it might be
necessary to determine this function numerically from the creep function
using the basic (14.2).
In general, estimates of reasonably high accuracy can be expected in any
analysis when composites are considered where both components have Power
Law viscoelasticity with b < 1/3.
These statements are based on testing the composite E EFF -method on composites such as Maxwell materials mixed with elastic spheres, mixtures of two
materials exhibiting Power Law creep, and layered composites made of two
Maxwell materials.
Approximate Inversion Method
It is tempting (see Sect. 14.3.1) to use this method when problem solutions are
formulated by their Laplace transformed as they are in Tables 15.1 and 15.2:
Multiply the Laplace transformed solution with s and then replace s with /t.
The inversion parameter , however, has to be estimated as some composite
average of inversion parameters applying to phases P and S. In the authors
opinion this feature disqualifies, in practice, the approximate inversion method
to be better than the plain EEFF -method. In any case, more research has to
be made on this matter.

15.2 Applications
Some examples are presented in this section, which illustrate how the analysis of viscoelastic composites just explained in Sect. 15.1 works on various

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