Computational mesomechanics of particle-reinforced composites

Numerical models of deformation, damage and fracture in particle-reinforced composite materials, based on the method of multiphase ®nite elements (MPFE) and element elimination technique (EET), are presented in this paper. The applicability of these techniques for di€erent materials and di€erent levels of simulation was studied. The simulation of damage and crack growth was conducted for several groups of composites: WC/Co hard metal alloys, Al/Si and Al/SiC composites on macroand mesolevel. It is shown that the used modern techniques of numerical simulation (MPFE and EET) are very ecient in understanding deformation and damage evolution in heterogeneous brittle/ ductile materials with inclusions. Ó 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.