A novel phase‐field based cohesive zone model for modeling interfacial failure in composites

Abstract

The interface plays a critical role in the mechanical properties of composites.In the present work, a novel phase-field based cohesive zone model (CZM) is proposed for the cracking simulation. The competition and interaction between the bulk and interfacial cracking are taken into consideration directly in both displacement-and phase-field. A family of modified degradation functions is utilized to describe the traction-separation law in the CZM. Finite element implementation of the present CZM was carried out with a completely staggered algorithm. Several numerical examples, including a single bar tension test, a double cantilever beam test, a three-point bending test, and a single-fiber reinforced composite test, are carried out to verify the present model by comparison with existing numerical and experimental results. The present model shows its advantage on modeling interaction between bulk and interfacial cracking.

Phase‐field modelling of cohesive interface failure

“…Then, the cracking in the bulk is described by a brittle model, while the interface behaviour is modelled by the cohesive model. [33][34][35][36][37][38] The cohesive phase-field model of Verhoosel and de Borst 19 and Nguyen et al 25 uses the phase-field regularisation technology to transform a discrete interface into a smeared one. The cohesive law is incorporated in a displacement jump-dependent fracture energy function.…”

“…In the brittle fracture model the cohesive interface debonding and the cracking in the bulk can also be considered separately. Then, the cracking in the bulk is described by a brittle model, while the interface behaviour is modelled by the cohesive model 33–38 …”

Numerical Analysis of Thermoplastically Welded CFRP Structures

“…The showed that this approach is feasible to achieve high load-carrying capacity when increasing clay nanoparticle volume fraction, aspect ratio or alignment of the particles. Bian et al [23] proposed a phase-field based cohesive zone model to account for cracking simulation. This approach is able to not only account for bulk cracks but also for interfacial cracks.…”