Micro- to macroscopic responses of a glass particle-blended polymer in the presence of an interphase layer

A multi-scale model which can be used to evaluate the interaction between a microstructure and the heterogeneous deformation behavior of ternary composites on the micro- to macroscopic scale has been developed based on the large deformation finite element homogenization method. Using four different interphases consisting of a rubber, two different types of polymer and an elastic material with intermediate stiffness of particle and matrix, the elasto-plastic behaviors of the composites have been confirmed to be markedly influenced by the interphase properties and the interphase with a stiffness well below that of the matrix shows a suitable effect on the micro- to macroscopic deformation behaviors of the composites. Therefore, a computational simulation has been performed for the present interphase to clarify the effects of the macroscopic strain ratio, interphase properties and particle volume fraction on macroscopic characteristics such as deformation resistance, elasticity modulus and yield stress, and on microscopic characteristics such as shear band pattern, mean stress in the matrix and normal stress on the particle surface. The results provide guidelines for selecting interphase properties and processing parameters to achieve desired overall composite characteristics.