MODELING AND SIMULATION OF CRACK INITIATION AND GROWTH IN PARTICULATECOMPOSITES

A micro/macromechanical approach was used to model and simulate crack initiation and crack propagation in particulate composite structures. The approach used both the micromechanical and macromechanical analyse s in tandem. The micromechanical analysis was based on a simplified mi cromechanical model and damage mechanics at the micro-level, and the m acromechanical analysis utilized the finite element method. In using t hese methods, crack initiation and growth in a general shape of compos ite structure were investigated with an efficient computational effort . It was assumed that a crack initiates and/or propagates when localiz ed damage is saturated As a result, the crack length was assumed to be the size of the saturated damage zone. Matrix crack initiation and pr opagation at circular notch tips were simulated using this approach. M odeling and simulation were also conducted for cases of nonuniform par ticle distribution in particulate composite structures. Predicted resu lts showed a good agreement with the experimental data.