Microstresses in particulate-reinforced brittle composites

The magnitude and spatial distribution of internal microstresses, arising from thermal expansion mismatches, in particulate-reinforced brittle composites were analyzed theoretically using a concentric sphere model. The extent of the stress interaction between inclusions was found to be strongly related to the inclusion size and content, and correspondingly had a considerable effect on the strain energy stored by the matrix. Taking the effect of stress interaction into account, the critical inclusion size for spontaneous microcracking was evaluated, and was found to be a function of the inclusion content. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.