Strength vs. toughness optimization of microstructured composites

Aim of this paper is to present a new fractal approach linking the macroscopic mechanical properties of micro- and nano-structured materials with the main parameters: composition, grain size and structural dimension, as well as contiguity and mean free path. Assuming the key role played by the interfaces, the proposed fractal energy approach unifies the influences of all the above parameters, through the introduction of a fractal structural parameter (FSP), which represents an extension of the Gurland’s structural parameter. This modeling approach is assessed through an extensive comparison with experimental data on poly crystalline diamond (PCD) and WC–Co alloys. The results clearly show that the theoretical fractal predictions are in a fairly good agreement with the experiments on both hardness and toughness. This new synthetic parameter is thus proposed to investigate, design and optimize new micro- and nano-grained materials. Eventually, FSP-based optimization maps are developed, that allow to design new materials with high hardness and toughness.