Phase-field simulation of crack propagation in particulate nanocomposite materials considering surface stresses

This work studies crack propagation in particulate nanocomposites using the phase-field method. The crack propagation has been simulated in a wide range of loadings and the critical load for the crack growth has been obtained. Surface tension, as an inelastic stress, is introduced in the model in a thermodynamically consistent way. The effect of surface tension on the crack tip velocity and the crack evolution has been discussed. The finite element method via COMSOL multiphysics software has been utilized to solve the coupled phase-field and elasticity equations. Modeling and prediction of crack propagation for nanocomposites including different nanoparticles and under different loadings are the main purposes of this work. It is found that the kinetics and morphology of the crack propagation depend on the elastic moduli and the surface energy of nanoparticles as well as their longitudinal and angular distances to each other.