International Journal of Fracture. Vol, 146, No. 3, pp. 139-148, 2007
H. Tan
University of Manchester, School of Mechanical Aerospace & Civil Engineering, Manchester M60 1QD, Lancs England
Y. Huang
Northwestern Univiversity, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Evanston, IL 60208 USA
C. Liu
Los Alamos National Lab, Division of Material Science & Technology, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA
G. Ravichandran
CALTECH, Grad Aeronaut Lab, Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
G.H. Paulino
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Newmark Laboraory, 205 North Mathews Avenue, IL 61801, U.S.A.
Abstract
Debonding of particle/matrix interfaces can significantly affect the macroscopic behavior of composite materials. We have used a nonlinear cohesive law for particle/matrix interfaces to study the effect of interface debonding on the macroscopic behavior of particle-reinforced composite materials subject to uniaxial tension. The Mori-Tanaka method, which is suitable for composites with high particle volume fraction, is extended to account for interface debonding. At a fixed particle volume fraction, small particles lead to the hardening behavior of the composite while large particles yield softening. The interface sliding may contribute significantly to the macroscopic behavior of the composite.
KEY WORDS: interface debonding; size effect; Mori-Tanaka method; composites; cohesive law