Material Strength: A Rational Nonequilibrium Energy Model for Complex Loadings

The failure of materials with some sort of loading is a well-known natural phenomenon, and the reliable prediction of the failure of materials is the most important issue for many different kinds of engineering materials based on safety considerations. Classical strength theories with complex loadings are based on some sort of postulations or assumptions, and they are intrinsically empirical criteria. Due to their simplicity, classical strength theories are still widely used in engineering, and they are very easy to incorporate into any finite element code. Recently, a new methodology was proposed by the author. Instead of establishing empirical models, the material failure process was modeled as a nonequilibrium process. Then, the strength criterion was established with the rational stability analysis for the failure process. In this study, the author tried to use this idea to develop a rational thermodynamic strength theory and to make the theory easy to use in engineering, similar to the classical strength criteria. It was found that the predictions of the rational energy strength theory were very reasonable compared to the experimental data even if no postulation was taken. Through the analysis, it seemed that the strength problem could be efficiently tackled using the rational nonequilibrium energy model instead of using some sort of empirical assumptions or models.