Prediction of failure and fracture mechanisms of polymeric composites using finite element analysis. Part 1: Particulate filled composites

Micro-mechanical analysis of polymeric composites provides a powerful means for the quantitative assessment of their bulk behavior. In this paper we d escribe a robust finite element model (FEM) for the micro-structural modeli ng of the behavior of particulate filled polymer composites under external loads. The developed model is applied to simulate stress distribution in po lymer composites containing particulate fillers. Quantitative information a bout the magnitude and location of maximum stress concentrations obtained f rom these simulations is used to predict the dominant failure and crack gro wth mechanisms in these composites. The model predictions are compared with the available experimental data and also with the values found using other methods reported in the literature. These comparisons show the range of th e validity of the developed model and its predictive potential.