A review of recent works on inclusions

The study of inclusions is of significance to the development of advanced materials for aerospace, marine, automotive and many other applications. This is because the presence of inclusions in materials affects their elastic field at the local and the global scale and thus greatly influences their mechanical and physical properties. Since the pioneering work on an ellipsoidal inclusion in an infinite space by Eshelby (1957), extensive research has been devoted to this area. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of recent works on inclusion in an infinite space, a half-space under prescribed surface loading, a half-space under surface contact loading or a finite space, and the Eshelby’s conjecture. The problems of a single inclusion, two inclusions, and multiple inclusions, dislocations and cracks as well as various methods used to address these problems are discussed. The review concludes with an outlook on future research directions.

► The study of inclusions is significant for the development of advanced materials. ► Inclusions in an infinite space, half space and finite space are reviewed. ► Problems of inclusions near surfaces subject to contact loading are highlighted. ► Inclusions and their interactions with dislocations and cracks are discussed. ► Works on Eshelby’s conjecture are discussed.