Chongpu Zhai

Stress-dependent frequency response of conductive granular materials

Electrical networks of randomly distributed resistors, capacitors, and inductors have been observed to exhibit intrinsic electrical characteristics that show power law behavior with respect to the frequency of the electrical signal applied. To examine these scaling laws, we present an experimental investigation of the stress-dependent electrical properties of randomly packed spheres of stainless steel, subjected to various conditions of compressive force. We considered two types of spheres exhibiting different dimensions, in order to have different inter-particle forces, which govern interfacial electrical properties, at a given stress. The frequency-dependent conductance and impedance of packed beds are found to demonstrate power-law relationships within a certain range of frequency. The absolute value of the exponent of the observed power function varies with the applied stress. The capacitive-to-inductive phase transition was observed as load increased, and was found to depend on the applied stress level and surface-to-volume ratio. The approach of equivalent network circuit was developed to describe the variation of macroscopic impedance at various frequencies. This study provides an insight into the characteristic electrical behaviors of conductive granular materials.

Universality of the emergent scaling in finite random binary percolation networks

In this paper we apply lattice models of finite binary percolation networks to examine the effects of network configuration on macroscopic network responses. We consider both square and rectangular lattice structures in which bonds between nodes are randomly assigned to be either resistors or capacitors. Results show that for given network geometries, the overall normalised frequency-dependent electrical conductivities for different capacitor proportions are found to converge at a characteristic frequency. Networks with sufficiently large size tend to share the same convergence point uninfluenced by the boundary and electrode conditions, can be then regarded as homogeneous media. For these networks, the span of the emergent scaling region is found to be primarily determined by the smaller network dimension (width or length). This study identifies the applicability of power-law scaling in random two phase systems of different topological configurations. This understanding has implications in the design and testing of disordered systems in diverse applications.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of hard Acrocomia mexicana fruit shell

Fruit and nut shells can exhibit high hardness and toughness. In the peninsula of Yucatan, Mexico, the fruit of the Cocoyol palm tree (Acrocomia mexicana) is well known to be very difficult to break. Its hardness has been documented since the 1500 s, and is even mentioned in the popular Maya legend The Dwarf of Uxmal. However, until now, no scientific studies quantifying the mechanical performance of the Cocoyol endocarp has been found in the literature to prove or disprove that this fruit shell is indeed “very hard”. Here we report the mechanical properties, microstructure and hardness of this material. The mechanical measurements showed compressive strength values of up to ~150 and ~250 MPa under quasi-static and high strain rate loading conditions, respectively, and microhardness of up to ~0.36 GPa. Our findings reveal a complex hierarchical structure showing that the Cocoyol shell is a functionally graded material with distinctive layers along the radial directions. These findings demonstrate that structure-property relationships make this material hard and tough. The mechanical results and the microstructure presented herein encourage designing new types of bioinspired superior synthetic materials.

Stress-dependent electrical transport and its universal scaling in granular materials

We experimentally and numerically examine stress-dependent electrical transport in granular materials to elucidate the origins of their universal dielectric response. The ac responses of granular systems under varied compressive loadings consistently exhibit a transition from a resistive plateau at low frequencies to a state of nearly constant loss at high frequencies. By using characteristic frequencies corresponding to the onset of conductance dispersion and measured direct-current resistance as scaling parameters to normalize the measured impedance, results of the spectra under different stress states collapse onto a single master curve, revealing well-defined stress-independent universality. In order to model this electrical transport, a contact network is constructed on the basis of prescribed packing structures, which is then used to establish a resistor-capacitor network by considering interactions between individual particles. In this model the frequency-dependent network response meaningfully reproduces the experimentally observed master curve exhibited by granular materials under various normal stress levels indicating this universal scaling behaviour is found to be governed by i) interfacial properties between grains and ii) the network configuration. The findings suggest the necessity of considering contact morphologies and packing structures in modelling electrical responses using network-based approaches.