Eigenstrain toughening in presence of elastic heterogeneity with application to bone. (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Z.; Vashishth, D.; Picu, R.C.
• Is Part Of: International journal of solids and structures. Volume 144/145(2018)
• Page Start: 137
• Page End: 144
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: Transformation toughening -- R-curve, Elastic heterogeneity -- Bone -- Dilatational bands; Mechanics, Applied -- Periodicals; Structural analysis (Engineering) -- Periodicals; Elastic solids -- Periodicals; Mécanique appliquée -- Périodiques; Constructions, Théorie des -- Périodiques; Solides élastiques -- Périodiques; Elastic solids; Mechanics, Applied; Structural analysis (Engineering); Periodicals; 624.18
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2018.04.019
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7683

Abstract

Abstract: Transformation toughening has been used in commercial products for several decades in order to increase the toughness of brittle materials. Composites made from an elastic matrix and elastic-plastic inclusions similarly exhibit increased toughness and R-curve behavior due to the residual stress induced in the wake of the crack tip by the unloaded, plastically deforming fillers. These two mechanisms, in which the eigenstrains in the wake of a major crack lead to toughening, belong to the same class. In this study, we investigate the effect of the elastic heterogeneity of the matrix on such toughening mechanisms and observe that increasing the elastic heterogeneity amplifies the effect. The analysis is relevant for bone, which is a highly heterogeneous hierarchical material, in which localized plastic deformation has been recently shown to occur at dilatational bands. Understanding toughening in bone is a subject of current interest in the context of age-related fragility. The heterogeneity-enhanced eigenstrain toughening effect is of interest for a broad range of engineering applications.