Interface failure by cavity growth to coalescence

For a thin metal layer between ceramics ductile failure by the growth of vo ids along one of the interfaces is studied numerically. An axisymmetric cel l model is used to represent an array of uniformly distributed hemispherica l interface voids. The bonding to the ceramics gives rise to highly constra ined plastic flow, which may result in a cavitation instability in some cas es. Remeshing is used in the cell model computations to be able to follow v oid growth to a state very near final void coalescence. The analyses are us ed to determine the traction-separation law relevant to interface crack gro wth by a ductile void growth mechanism. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.