STRESS AND STRAIN DISTRIBUTION IN TWO-PHASE SYSTEMS

ABSTRACT Brittle two-phase materials exemplified by certain tool materials show a complex fracture behaviour. During loading elastic energy is stored in the two phases. Fracture is then initiated in the hard and brittle phase and propagates when the energy absorbtion rate becomes less than the energy dissipation rate. In order to understand this process one need to know the stress distribution in the two-phase structure. We have made FEM-analyses of a range of geometries of idealized structures. If everything else is kept constant it is shown that contiguity influences the stress patterns to a significant extent.