Abstract
This study investigates the deterministic and stochastic natural frequency behaviors of molded polylactic acid (PLA)/nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) composite beams and arches. The PLA/nano-HA composite was modeled using a representative volume element (RVE). The mechanical response of the modeled composite was determined using finite element (FE) and mean-field (MF) homogenization approaches. The optimal mechanical response was obtained with 20 wt. % of nano-HA. The MF and FE results were experimentally validated by fabricating a composite using microwave-assisted compression molding. Pore generation on the surface of the PLA/nano-HA composite was performed using the salt leaching technique. Open-cell foam modeling was employed to incorporate porosity distributions with graded mass densities and elastic moduli along the beam thickness. This study emphasizes the impacts of material gradation, porosity, and stochastic variability on vibration responses, and its results offer valuable insights regarding the design of lightweight and high-performance composite structures.
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