Fracture mode of alumina/silicon carbide nanocomposites

Computer simulations have been designed to elucidate the evolution of micro cracking in a nanocomposite using appropriate material values for alumina a nd silicon carbide. These are compared to a single-phase material using ela stic and thermal expansion coefficients for alumina. It is found that the r egion and the fracture mode where microcracking ensues are determined by th e intensity and the length scale of the residual stress fields, which inter act. Of specific interest are the region, fracture mode, and length of ensu ing microcracks for materials with different inclusion locations (at the gr ain boundary or within the grain) and with different grain size to inclusio n size ratios.