Investigation of static and dynamic fracture behavior of particle-reinforced composite materials by the extended finite element method

The static and dynamic fracture behaviors of particle-reinforced composite materials are investigated by the extended finite element method (XFEM) without tip-enriched functions. We assume that both the matrix and the particles, bounded by perfect interfaces, have the elastic properties. The influence of particle position and amount on the stress intensity factors (SIFs) of the matrix-crack-tip are studied. The numerical results clearly show the different failure mechanisms in such materials. The results also validate that the method employed in this paper could accurately predict the fracture behavior of particle-reinforced composite materials and could be more easily accepted by the engineering.