LOCATION OF TENSILE FRACTURE WITHIN RIGID-BRITTLE INCLUSIONS IN A DUCTILE FLOWING MATRIX

The fundamental assumption in the fibre loading theory proposed by Cox was used to develop a new theoretical model that predicts the locatio n of tensile fracture within rigid-brittle inclusions embedded in a co ntinuous ductile flowing matrix. Both theoretical prediction and micro structural observations show that fracture location depends strongly o n inclusion shape. Successive mid-point fracturing occurs within cylin drical grains, while the circular, truncated, conical grains sequentia lly fragment into two segments of unequal length, the longer of which has the greater diameter.