A Bending-Tension-Shear Model for Hybrid Nacreous Composites

Incorporating hybrid nanosheets in nacreous nanocomposites has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing material strength and toughness. In practical applications, these nanocomposites often experience bending deformation. However, few theoretical models can analyze the coupled bending-tension deformation of hybrid nacreous nanocomposites. Here, we present a generalized bending-tension-shear model that investigates the effects of hybridization and random discontinuities in the hard phase (reinforcements) on the strain distribution. Finite element analysis was conducted to validate the developed model. Our findings reveal that coupled bending and tension deformations induce asymmetric shear strain distributions within overlapping regions. By alternating softened hard-phase layers and reducing their thickness, we observe a reduction in peak normal stresses, a shift in the location of maximum stress, and an increase in the uniformity of shear strain distributions across various configurations. These modifications collectively delay failure initiation while enhancing the load-bearing capacity. These findings by the bending-tension-shear model provide critical insights into understanding deformation mechanisms and designing high-performance hybrid nacreous composites.