A numerical study on the damping capacity of metal matrix nanocomposites

In the present study, the damping capacity of metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) is predicted using a micro-mechanical modeling approach. The model is based on finite element analysis of a unit cell, which mimics a pure metallic lattice with stiff reinforcing nanoparticles. The dissipated energy of nanocomposite is predicted numerically by applying a harmonic load on the unit cell model. The influences of the grain size, boundary phase thickness and reinforcement size on the energy dissipation were calculated by the developed finite element model. Also, the damping capacities of three typical particulate reinforced nanocomposites have been simulated by the proposed model. The relationship between damping capacity and dislocations were also discussed with respect to the Granato–Lücke (G–L) theory. The results calculated from the developed model show good agreement with the G–L theory, which demonstrates the feasibility of damping calculation with the proposed method.