Role of spatial patterns in fracture of disordered multiphase materials

Abstract

Multi-phase materials, such as composite materials, exhibit multiple competing failure mechanisms during the growth of a macroscopic defect. For the simulation of the overall fracture process in such materials, we develop a two-phase spring network model that accounts for the architecture between the different components as well as the respective disorders in their failure characteristics. In the specific case of a plain weave architecture, we show that any offset between the layers reduces the delocalization of the stresses at the crack tip and thereby substantially lowers the strength and fracture toughness of the overall laminate. The avalanche statistics of the broken springs do not show a distinguishable dependence on the offsets between layers. The power law exponents are found to be much smaller than that of disordered spring network models in the absence of a crack. A discussion is developed on the possibility of the avalanche statistics being those near breakdown.

arXiv comment13 pages, 22 figures

References in corpus (7)

• Statistical Models of Fracture
• Statistical similarity between the compression of a porous material and earthquakes
• Crossover Behavior in Burst Avalanches of Fiber Bundles: Signature of Imminent Failure
• Role of disorder in the size-scaling of material strength
• Crossover behavior in failure avalanches
• Fracture Toughness and Maximum Stress in a Disordered Lattice System
• On role of matrix behavior in compressive fracture of bovine cortical bone

Cited by in corpus (2)

• From nucleation to percolation: the effect of system size when disorder and stress localization compete
• From nucleation to percolation: the effect of system size and system disorder