Abstract
The resistance of a ceramic matrix composite to the cleavage cracking across a field of strongly bonded, uniformly distributed metal particles is studied. The crack trapping and bridging effects of the metal particles are analyzed by means of calculating the strain energy and the traction work. An explicit expression for the critical energy release rate as a function of particle volume fraction has been obtained. The fracture resistance is independent of elastic properties of the matrix and the sample geometry and is predominantly determined by the size/spacing ratio of the particles. It is shown that the theoretical curves agree with experimental data quite well. The methodology developed in this article can be used in studying the fracture resistances of composites with high filler contents and irregular filler geometries.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
V. D. Krstic, “On the fracture of brittle-matrix ductile-particle composites,” Phil. Mag., A48, No. 5, 695–708 (1983).
A. G. Evans and R. M. McMeeking, “On the toughening of ceramics by strong reinforcements,” Acta Metal., 34, No. 12, 2435–2441 (1986).
G. Bao and C. Y. Hui, “Effects of interface debonding on the toughness of ductile-particle-reinforced ceramics,” Int. J. Solids Struct., 26, No. 5, 631–642 (1990).
Y. Qiao and A. S. Argon, “Cleavage cracking resistance of high-angle grain boundaries in a Fe-3%Si alloy,” Mech. Mater., 35, 313–331 (2003).
F. F. Lange, “Interaction between a crack front and cleavage steps,” Phil. Mag., 22, 129–136 (1970).
A. G. Evans and F. W. Zok, “The physics and mechanics of fiber-reinforced brittle-matrix composites,” J. Mater. Sci., 29, 2857–3896 (1994).
H. Gao and J. R. Rice, “A first-order perturbation analysis of crack trapping by arrays of obstacles,” J. Appl. Mech., 56, 828–836 (1989).
G. Xu, A. F. Bower, and M. Ortiz, “The influence of crack trapping on the toughness of fiber-reinforced composites,” J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 46, No. 10, 1815–1833 (1998).
T. M. Mower and A. S. Argon, “Experimental investigations of crack trapping in brittle heterogeneous solids,” Mech. Mater., 19, 343–364 (1995).
Y. Qiao, “Fracture toughness of composite materials reinforced by debondable particulates,” Scripta Mater., 49, 491–496 (2003).
Y. Qiao and X. Kong, “Unstable crack advance across a regular array of short fibers in a brittle matrix,” Compos. Sci. Technol., 64, 711–717 (2004).
Y. S. Ulfyand, Survey of Articles on the Application of Integral Transforms in the Theory of Elasticity, University of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, USA (1965).
R. Courant and D. Hilbert, Methods of Mathematical Physics, Interscience, NY, USA (1953).
L. B. Freund, Dynamic Fracture Mechanics, University Press, Cambridge, UK (1998).
M. F. Kanninen and C. H. Popelar, Advanced Fracture Mechanics, Oxford University Press, NY, USA (1985).
Y. Qiao, “Modeling the resistance curve of high-angle grain boundary in a Fe-3wt.%Si alloy,” Mater. Sci. Eng., A361, 350–357 (2003).
L. R. F. Rose, “Toughening due to crack front interaction with a second phase dispersion,” Mech. Mater., 6, 11–15 (1987).
M. Kotoul and J. Vrbka, “Crack bridging and trapping mechanisms used to toughen brittle matrix composites,” Theor., Appl, Fract. Mech, 40, No. 1, 23–44 (2003).
A. A. Rubinstein and P. Wang, “The fracture toughness of a particulate-reinforced brittle matrix,” J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 46, No. 7, 1139–1154 (1998).
H. Andersson and H. Bergkvist, “Analysis of a non-linear crack model,” J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 18, 1–28 (1969).
Y. Qiao and X. Kong, “Fracture toughness of thermoset composites reinforced by impenetrable short fibers,” Eng. Fract. Mech., 71, 2621–2633 (2004).
N. Nagendra and V. Jayaram, “Fracture and R-curves in high volume fraction Al2O3/Al composites,” J. Mater. Res., 15, 1131–1144 (2000).
Y. Ji, J. A. Yeomans, “Microstructure and mechanical properties of chromium and chromium/nickel particulate-reinforced alumina ceramics,” J. Mater. Sci., 37, 5229–5236 (2002).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
__________
Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp. 303–318, May–June, 2005.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kong, X., Qiao, Y. Fracture in Ceramic-Matrix Composites Reinforced with Strongly Bonded Metal Particles. Mech Compos Mater 41, 205–216 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11029-005-0048-2
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11029-005-0048-2