Modeling of functionally graded materials to estimate effective thermo-mechanical properties
Royal Madan, Shubhankar Bhowmick
Abstract
Purpose Functionally graded materials are a special class of composites in which material are graded either continuously or layered wise depending upon its applications. With such variations of materials, the properties of structure vary either lengthwise or thickness wise. This paper aims to investigate models for effective estimation of material properties, as it is necessary for industries to identify the properties of composites or functionally graded materials (FGM’s) before manufacturing and also to develop novel material combinations. Design/methodology/approach Available models were compared for different material combinations and tested with experimental data for properties such as Young’s modulus, density, coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal conductivity. Combinations of metal–ceramic and metal–metal were selected such that their ratios cover a wide range of materials. Findings This study reveals different models will be required depending on the material used and properties to be identified. Practical implications The results of the present work will help researchers in the effective modeling of composites or FGM’s for any analysis. Originality/value This paper presents a comparison and review of various analytical methods with experimental data graphically to find out the best suitable method. For the first time, the Halpin-Tsai model was extended in the analysis of the CTE which shows good approximations.