An interface griffith crack in coated fiber reinforced composite materials

The Griffith interface crack with a circular inclusion is investigated in this study. The study will utilize the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanics and practical verification of finite element methods to determine the stress intensity factors of a composite material under uniaxial far-field loading. Finite element methods will be used in the study to obtain results which will be compared against current analytical work to detemine its accuracy. As the de-bonding angle increases, the stress intensity factors approach zero or a negative number where the experiment will cease. The de-bonding angle and the Young's modulus will be varied to check its influence on the stress intensity factors as well as the accuracy of the model to be able to obtain accurate results when the materials are non-homogenous. The study also included the expansion of a two-phase model with an additional layer of coating. The coating problem was simplified with assumptions to successfully model a two-phase interface crack problem. Further, the three-phase model was studied based on the expansion of the two-phase model with coating to determine the stress intensity factors around the crack tip and crack propagation.Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering