Hierarchical models for simulating the mechanical behavior of heterogeneous materials: an approach to high speed tool steel

A hierarchical modeling strategy is presented which allows the computationa l simulation of the thermo-mechanical behavior of materials exhibiting diff erent morphological characteristics at different length scales. As a typica l example of such materials high speed tool steel is considered as some sor t of in-situ metal matrix composite containing, at the micro level, carbidi c inclusions in a martensitic steel matrix, and, at the meso level, cluster s or stringers of inclusion rich areas. The macroscopic stiffness and stren gth behavior depends on the morphology at both levels which can be taken in to account simultaneously by the proposed hierarchical concepts. (C) 1999 E lsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.