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Crack-particle interaction in two-phase composites Part I: Particle shape effects

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Abstract

A plane-strain Finite Element (FE) analysis has been performed on a composite model consisting of a homogeneous, side-cracked elastic material with a single, symmetrically located elastic particle under pure mode-I loading, in an attempt to simply characterize the crack-particle interaction for a general two-phase composite. In order to uniquely characterize the geometry of a given model (crack length, particle size and crack-particle separation) it is necessary to introduce a new comprehensive ‘geometric’ parameter. For the purpose of making this analysis broadly applicable, a wide range of elastic moduli for both the matrix and the reinforcement are incorporated into the analysis. The results indicate that the particle has a strong influence on the crack-tip stress intensity factor (SIF) only when the particle is relativelynear the tip as determined by the geometric parameter. Within this crack-tip region it is found that particles elongated parallel to the crack are more able to affect the crack-tip SIF than identically sized particles elongated perpendicular to the crack. Finally, the differential SIF of the composite is given as a general function of the geometric variables, particle shape (aspect ratio) and Dundurs' parameter α which characterizes the elastic mismatch of the constituents. With this relation, a simple and accurate estimate of the elastic interaction between a crack and particles of various shapes can be made on many combinations of materials without an extensive numerical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung, Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft, Seestraße 92, D-70174, Stuttgart, Germany

    P. Lipetzky & S. Schmauder

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  1. P. Lipetzky
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  2. S. Schmauder
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Lipetzky, P., Schmauder, S. Crack-particle interaction in two-phase composites Part I: Particle shape effects. Int J Fract 65, 345–358 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012373

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00012373

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