Crack Initiation and Growth in Viscoeleastic Particulate Composites: Experiments and Model Validation

摘要

Particle reinforced polymeric composites exhibit non-linear constitutive response due to various factors such as damage, hysteresis, viscoeleasticity and large strains. Such non-linear behavior is observed extensively in filled polymer or rubber products such as toughened plastics, tires, solid propellants and others. The fracture behavior of elastic particulate composites such as rubber toughened epoxies and solid propellants have been widely investigated experimentally. There has been relatively little effort in understanding critical conditions and criteria for crack initiation and growth in such materials undergoing damage.