In the heart of India, researchers are redefining the future of materials science, with implications that could revolutionize the energy sector. Tapaswinee Das, a mechanical engineering professor at Siksha O Anusandhan Deemed to be University in Bhubaneswar, has been delving into the thermomechanical responses of multilayered functionally graded materials (FGMs). Her work, published in the European Journal of Materials, could pave the way for more resilient and efficient structures in extreme environments.
Functionally graded materials are not your average composites. They are engineered to have a gradual change in material properties, creating a smooth transition from one material to another. This gradual change can help to mitigate stress concentrations and reduce the likelihood of delamination, making them ideal for high-temperature applications in the energy sector.
Das and her team have been exploring the behavior of FGM sandwich and multilayered plates under normal and elevated temperatures. They employed a zigzag theory, which uses layerwise assumptions for the displacement field and transforms it into an equivalent single-layer theory. This approach allows for a more accurate representation of material property discontinuity at laminate interfaces.
“The key challenge,” Das explains, “is to capture the complex interactions between the layers, especially when the material properties change gradually.” The team’s model uses a set of continuity conditions in displacements and stresses, resulting in a final displacement field described by five mechanical variables and a set of temperature variables.
The implications for the energy sector are significant. In power plants, for instance, components often operate in high-temperature environments. Traditional materials can struggle to maintain their integrity under such conditions, leading to failures and downtime. FGMs, with their ability to withstand extreme temperatures and reduce stress concentrations, could offer a more durable solution.
Das’s research also sheds light on the effects of layer thicknesses and the proportion of constituent materials on deformation and stress. In FGM sandwich plates, the midplane deflection and stresses are found to be dependent on these factors. Moreover, in high-temperature environments, a transition temperature is observed where deformation and stress become independent of the proportion of material constituents and relative thickness of individual layers.
This finding could simplify the design process, as engineers would not need to consider these factors beyond a certain temperature. It also opens up new possibilities for material combinations, as the team analyzed different ceramic/material combinations to observe this behavior.
The research, published in the European Journal of Materials, is a significant step forward in the understanding of FGMs. As Das puts it, “Our work provides a robust framework for analyzing the thermomechanical response of FGMs, which can guide the design of more efficient and durable structures in the energy sector.”
The energy sector is not the only one that could benefit from this research. Aerospace, automotive, and even biomedical industries could leverage these findings to create more resilient and efficient products. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, Das’s work serves as a reminder that the future of materials science is not just about creating new materials, but also about understanding and optimizing the ones we already have.