An experimental/analytical comparison of strains in encapsulated assemblies

• Main Authors: Guess, T.R., Burchett, S.N.
• Other Authors: United States. Department of Energy.
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Sandia National Laboratories 1991
• Subjects: Numerical Solution; 450200 > Military Technology; Weaponry; & National Defense > Nuclear Explosions & Explosives; Alloys; Manganese Additions; Organic Compounds; Kovar; Finite Element Method; Cobalt Alloys; Fabrication; Encapsulation; 45 Military Technology; And National Defense; 42 Engineering; Nickel Alloys; Temperature Dependence; Curing; Materials Testing; Urethane; Organic Oxygen Compounds; Carboxylic Acid Salts; Iron Alloys; Tubes; Casting; 420500 > Engineering > Materials Testing; Manganese Alloys; Carbonic Acid Derivatives; Testing 360601* > Other Materials > Preparation & Manufacture; Epoxides; 36 Materials Science; Organic Nitrogen Compounds; Iron Base Alloys; Strains; Carbamates; Carbonic acid
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.2172/6187028; https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1111542/

A combined experimental and analytical study of strains developed in encapsulated assemblies during casting, curing and thermal excursions is described. The experimental setup, designed to measure in situ strains, consisted of thin, closed-end, Kovar tubes that were instrumented with strain gages and thermocouples before being over-cast with a polymeric encapsulant. Four bisphenol A (three diethanolamine cured and one anhydride cured) epoxy-based materials and one urethane elastomeric material were studied. After cure of the encapsulant, tube strains were measured over the temperature range of {minus}55{degrees}C to 90{degrees}C. The thermal excursion experiments were then numerically modeled using finite element analyses and the computed strains were compared to the experimental strains. The predicted strains were over estimated (conservative) when a linear, elastic, temperature-dependent material model was assumed for the encapsulant and the stress free temperature T{sub i} was assumed to correspond to the cure temperature {Tc} of the encapsulant. Very good agreement was obtained with linear elastic calculations provided that the stress free temperature corresponded to the onset of the glassy-to-rubbery transition range of the encapsulant. Finally, excellent agreement was obtained in one of the materials (828/DEA) when a viscoelastic material model was utilized and a stress free temperature corresponding to the cure temperature was assumed. 13 refs., 20 figs., 3 tabs.