Prediction of the effective Young’s modulus of a particulate composite containing fractured particles

This paper considers the problem of prediction of the effective Young’s modulus of a particulate composite material containing fractured particles. It treats the general case in which some particles are fractured while others remain intact. The reinforcing particles are assumed to be spherical. The Mori–Tanaka model is extended to formulate the method of solution. The resulting auxiliary problem of a single fractured particle in an infinite matrix subjected to a remote stress equal to the average matrix stress, for which Eshelby’s solution does not exist, is solved by the finite element method. The predictions are compared with the exact results of Young’s modulus for particulate composites with body-centered cubic packing arrangement and experimental results of Young’s modulus for particulate composites containing fractured particles.

► The effective Young’s modulus of a particulate composite with fractured particles is predicted. ► The general case in which some particles are fractured while others remain intact is considered. ► The Mori–Tanaka model is extended to particulate composites containing fractured particles. ► The predictions agree well with the available experimental results.