VOID GROWTH AND INTERACTION IN A SOFT MATERIAL

Void growth and interaction in a soft material is explored numerically in this work in a three-dimensional context. Discrete initially spherical voids are explicitly modeled ahead of a crack front under small-scale yielding. While a multiple void interaction mechanism can be identified in our study, computations show a qualitatively similar void growth exhibited for the initial void volume fractions considered, f0 = 0.1% and 1%. Extensive void growth in the damage process zone are observed upon application of load, with the resultant deformed voids taking on a prolated void shape. A micromechanical analysis of void growth is also carried out and the numerical results suggest a failure mechanism in the soft material not attributed to void coalescence but by a mechanism analogous to tearing.