Analytical method of inelastic thermal stresses in a functionally graded material plate by a combination of micro- and macromechanical approaches

The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical description of thermal-stress states in a ceramic-metal functionally graded material (FGM) plate subjected to through-thickness heat flow by combining micromechanical with macromechanical approaches. The micromechanical approach stems from Eshelby's equivalent inclusion method and Mori-Tanaka's mean-field approximation, and the macromechanical approach is based on the classical laminated plate theory. This analytical method takes account of the microscale-level stress relaxation due to interfacial diffusion between ceramic and metal phases as well as creep of both phases. Some numerical examples for the Al2O3-Ni system are also shown, and the necessity of considering inelastic deformation in a thermal-stress analysis in an FGM is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.