A study of the interaction between a propagating crack and an uncoated/coated elastic inclusion using the BE technique

The purpose of the present work is a parametrical study of the interaction between a propagating edge-crack and an embedded elastic fibre using the Boundary Element (BE) technique. Uniaxial fibre reinforced composites generally have very good properties in the direction of the fibres, but in conventional multi-layer crossply laminates it is cracking in the transverse direction which effectively limits the strength of a stressed body. Therefore, in this study the propagation of a crack in the transverse direction is considered, i.e., in a plane containing the fibre axes, rather than perpendicular to the fibres. Crack deflection/attraction mechanisms and their associated energy release rate variations are investigated for a range of Young's moduli and Poisson's ratio mismatches, and crack offsets with respect to the inclusion centreline. Furthermore, the effects of a third-phase, i.e., coating, applied to the fibre's surface are analysed, and results have been obtained for different coating thicknesses and elastic moduli ratios. From this investigation it was found that the Poisson's ratio of the different phases could have a significant effect on the crack trajectory, and hence the energetics involved in the process of crack deflection are also dramatically altered. This opens up the possibility of enhancing the fracture toughness of fibre reinforced composite materials by considering the Poisson's ratio of the individual phases when selecting the particular material combination.