US-Tunisia Cooperative Research: Crack Problems in Functionally Graded Materials Under Thermo-Mechanical Loading

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

0080462 Keer Description: This award is for support of a cooperative project by Dr. Leon Keer, Department of Civil Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Dr. Fazil Erdogan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Dr. Sami El-Borgi, Department of Civil Engineering, Polytechnic School of Tunisia, La Marsa, Tunisia. They plan to collaborate in research on functionally graded materials (FGM). The possibility of using nonhomogeneous coatings made of FGMs is currently being explored as an alternative to the conventional homogeneous ceramic coatings in high-temperature applications. The scientists at the three institutions will consider a number of benchmark two-dimensional crack problems involving fracture of ceramic-metal FGMs under thermal and mechanical loading. The objective is to study the effect of FGM nonhomogeneity parameters on the crack driving forces for the purpose of gaining better understanding on the behavior and design of graded materials. Two approaches will be used, an analytical approach and a numerical approach, to allow comparison of the results and development of a faithful numerical predictive capability. Scope: This award will permit collaboration between Tunisian and US scientists who have complementary capabilities and experience. The two US scientists are eminent in their fields and are highly published in areas related to the problem. The Tunisian collaborator received his Ph.D. at a prestigious US university and has conducted research both in Tunisia and in the United States, with a resulting strong publication record. Two other Tunisians, one a female scientist who completed her education, including a Ph.D., in France and the second a Ph.D. candidate in Dr. El-Borgi's department, will participate in this research. They will be exposed for the first time to research resources and methods in the United States. This project presents a viable means to increase collaboration with Tunisia, where interaction with the United States is limited because of the dominance of French as the foreign language most used by scientists. This proposal meets the INT objective of increasing international scientific collaboration in areas of mutual benefit.