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Mixture law including particle-size effect on fracture toughness of nano- and micro-spherical particle-filled composites

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Abstract

The effects of particle diameter and volume fraction on fracture toughness of nano- and micro-spherical particle-filled composites were investigated. The purpose was to create a mixture law of fracture toughness based on experimental results of spherical silica particle–filled epoxy composites and a theoretical approach. The fracture toughness of composites was found to be tailored independently by exchanging different particle sizes, and elastic and viscoelastic properties were found to be governed by the volume fraction of the particles. In a theoretical analysis, a mixture law of fracture toughness, composed of the elastic moduli, diameter, and volume fraction of particles and the elastic moduli of matrix resins was proposed. Its validity was demonstrated in a comparison with the experimental results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, 441-8580, Japan

    Tadaharu Adachi & Masahiro Higuchi

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-Okubo, Sakuraku, Saitama, 338-8570, Japan

    Wakako Araki

Authors
  1. Tadaharu Adachi
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  2. Wakako Araki
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  3. Masahiro Higuchi
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Correspondence to Tadaharu Adachi.

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Adachi, T., Araki, W. & Higuchi, M. Mixture law including particle-size effect on fracture toughness of nano- and micro-spherical particle-filled composites. Acta Mech 214, 61–69 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-010-0314-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00707-010-0314-9

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