Exploring ductile particle toughening with fracture simulations.

While many ceramic materials boast a high theoretical ultimate strength, they often have low toughness and are susceptible to brittle fracture. Thus, technologies for increasing the effective toughness of ceramics are crucial for extending their utility in mechanical applications. This research considers the use of ductile particles in a ceramic body as an extrinsic toughening mechanism. Such particles are modeled to bridge a crack behind its tip, thus decreasing stress intensity near the crack tip and mitigating propagation. Using cohesive zone modeling (CZM) and finite element method (FEM) in the ABAQUS simulation software, this research focuses on engineering the adhesive interphase surrounding a particle to optimize its toughness increment. The main approach to this problem is to consider both particle debonding and penetration as simultaneous modes of failure to maximize ductility throughout the entire particle. Testing methods primarily consist of observing the output's response to changes in various parameters such as particle-to-matrix stiffness ratio and stress-strain curve parameters. This research aims to develop a computational paradigm for exploring the potential use of this particular toughening mechanism in brittle materials.