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The influence of interface and arrangement of inclusions on local stresses in composite materials

Journal Article · · Acta Materialia
 [1];  [2]
  1. Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Mechanics
  2. Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta, GA (United States). George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering

The authors studied a model composite material consisting of a thin epoxy plate (matrix) reinforced with stiff circular disks (inclusions) and subjected to a uniaxial tension. At each inclusion-matrix interface there is an interfacial layer, an interphase, which has uniform properties. The inclusions are arranged in the matrix at random but with no overlap. For comparison they also considered square and triangular periodic arrangements. The authors have studied elastic fields of such composites both experimentally, using a photoelasticity method, and numerically via a finite element method. They have found that random inclusion arrangements give higher stress concentrations than the periodic ones owing to stress localizations. The highest stress increase is in a compliant interface case, which also exhibits the highest scatter in stress magnitudes for different random arrangements at the same volume fraction.

Sponsoring Organization:
Michigan State Government, Lansing, MI (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
554111
Journal Information:
Acta Materialia, Journal Name: Acta Materialia Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 45; ISSN 1359-6454; ISSN ACMAFD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English