A Finite Element Study Of The Effects Of Material Characteristics And Crack Tip Constraint On Dynamic Ductile Fracture Initiation A Finite Element Study Of The Effects Of Material Characteristics And Crack Tip Constraint On Dynamic Ductile Fracture Initiation

In this work, 2-D (plane strain) finite element analyses of a ductile three-point bend fracture specimen subjected to Mode I, dynamic (impact-like) loading are conducted. The initiation of a hole by debonding around a large inclusion and its interaction with the notch tip is simulated. The background material is represented by the Gurson constitutive model and micro-void nucleation at uniformly distributed small size particles is also taken into account. The development of ductile failure due to the accumulation of micro-void damage in the ligament between the notch-tip and the inclusion is studied. The influence of impact speed, rate dependence and thermal softening (due to adiabatic heating) of the matrix material on dynamic, ductile fracture initiation are quantitatively assessed. Also, the effects of the bond strength of the matrix-inclusion interface, and, crack tip constraint are examined