M. Finot et al., MICROMECHANICAL MODELING OF REINFORCEMENT FRACTURE IN PARTICLE-REINFORCED METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES, Metallurgical and materials transactions. A, Physical metallurgy andmaterials science, 25(11), 1994, pp. 2403-2420
Finite element analyses; of the effect of particle fracture on the ten
sile response of particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites are carri
ed out. The analyses are based on two-dimensional plane strain and axi
symmetric unit cell models. The reinforcement is characterized as an i
sotropic elastic solid and the ductile matrix as an isotropically hard
ening viscoplastic solid. The reinforcement and matrix properties are
taken to be those of an Al-3.5 wt pet Cu alloy reinforced with SiC par
ticles. An initial crack, perpendicular to the tensile axis, is assume
d to be present in the particles. Both stationary and quasi-statically
growing cracks are analyzed. Resistance to crack growth in its initia
l plane and along the particle-matrix interface is modeled using a coh
esive surface constitutive relation that allows for decohesion. Variat
ions of crack size, shape, spatial distribution, and volume fraction o
f the particles and of the material;and cohesive properties are explor
ed. Conditions governing the onset of cracking within the particle, th
e evolution of field quantities as the crack advances within the parti
cle to the particle-matrix interface, and the dependence of overall te
nsile stress-strain response during continued crack advance are analyz
ed.