Abstract
Three-dimensional elastic analysis for porous ceramic materials was studied by means of combining a image-based modeling and homogenization method. Image-based modeling for porous alumina ceramics was obtained with X-ray CT. The prepared alumina samples had small spherical pores of 20 and 60μm in diameters with the porosities of about 1.0 and 7.0%. After reconstruction of the three-dimensional images, representative volume elements (RVE) were obtained. Homogenization method was applied to the RVE images for calculation of homogenized elastic constants. Using the elastic constants, FEM macroscopic elastic calculation for a global 4-point bending test models was carried out, which gives global stress distributions for the specimens. Under the macroscopic stress conditions, the local stress distributions in the RVE were calculated. High local stresses were shown near the pores, which will be very useful for future fracture analyses of the porous ceramics.
