Date Available
12-12-2025
Year of Publication
2025
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering (MSMSE)
College
Engineering
Department/School/Program
Chemical and Materials Engineering
Faculty
Matthew J. Beck
Abstract
This thesis employs finite-element–based computational methods to investigate how microstructural features and material heterogeneity govern mechanical behavior across three distinct complex systems. First, the elastic response of open-cell metallic foams is analyzed using large ensembles of model RVEs generated with the Kentucky Random Structures Toolkit (KRaSTk); finite-element homogenization reveals that effective stiffness is not dictated by relative density alone, as the skewness of ligament-length distributions—captured by the second Pearson’s coefficient—exerts a strong and previously unrecognized influence, with structures enriched in short load-bearing ligaments exhibiting consistently higher stiffness even at fixed density and connectivity. The second study examines heterogeneous polycrystalline solids through explicit three-phase RVEs generated using pyVoro, where full-field finite-element simulations quantify how inclusion stiffness, intergranular boundary geometry, and macroscopic loading govern local stress redistribution; stiff inclusions amplify von Mises hotspots, thin boundary layers intensify grain-boundary stresses, and both normal and von Mises stresses scale linearly—but with amplification—with applied macroscopic stress. The final study applies structural finite-element analysis to a single complex macroscale engineering component—the wheel housing of an underground shuttle car—where vertical, lateral, and combined loading scenarios show that bolt-interface reactions provide a highly linear, direction-stable proxy for total applied load, identifying these regions as optimal sites for intrinsically safe load sensors. Together, these studies demonstrate how computational modeling clarifies stiffness evolution, stress localization, and load transfer in stochastic foams, heterogeneous polycrystals, and full-scale structural assemblies, highlighting the major role of microstructure in controlling mechanical performance across engineered materials.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.619
Recommended Citation
Al-Mashrafi, Naji, "Multi-Scale Computational Mechanical Modeling of Complex Multi-Phase Materials Systems" (2025). Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering. 180.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cme_etds/180
