New coupled micro-macro continuum theory for functionally graded materials

A new higher-order theory has recently been developed for the thermomechanical response of functionally graded materials. In contrast to existing micromechanical theories that utilize classical homogenization schemes in the course of calculating microscopic and macroscopic field quantities, in the present approach the actual microstructural details are explicitly coupled with the macrostructure of the composite. Herein, recent developments of this new micromechanical theory are outlined that, among other things, illustrate the shortcomings of the classical micromechanics approach in modeling functionally graded materials, and the potential of functionally graded architectures in reducing edge effects in MMC's.