Brittle Fracture and Damage of Brittle Materials and Composites: Statistical-Probabilistic Approaches

Flaws are the principal source of fracture in many materials, whether brittle or ductile, whether nearly homogeneous or composite. They are introduced during either fabrication or surface preparation or during exposure to aggressive environments (e. g. oxidation, shocks). The critical flaws act as stress concentrators and initiate cracks that propagate instantaneously to failure in the absence of crack arrest phenomena as encountered in brittle materials.

This book explores those brittle materials susceptible to crack arrest and the flaws which initiate crack induced damage. A detailed description of microstructural features covering numerous brittle materials, including ceramics, glass, concrete, metals, polymers and ceramic fibers to help you develop your knowledge of material fracture.

Brittle Failure and Damage of Brittle Materials and Composites outlines the technological progress in this field and the need for reliable systems with high performances to help you advance the development of new structural materials, creating advantages of low density, high resistance to elevated temperatures and aggressive environments, and good mechanical properties.

The effects of flaw populations on fracture strengthThe main statistical-probabilistic approaches to brittle fractureThe use of these methods for predictions of failure and effects induced by flaw populationsThe application of these methods to component designThe methods of estimation of statistical parameters that define flaw strength distributionsThe extension of these approaches to damage and failure of continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites

Chapter 1 : Flaws in materials
Chapter 2 : Statistical-probabilistic approaches to brittle fracture: the Weibull model 
Chapter 3: Statistical – probabilistic theories based on flaw size density
Chapter 4: Statistical – probabilistic theories based on flaw strength density
Chapter 5 : Effective volume or surface area
Chapter 6: Size and stress-state effects on fracture strength
Chapter 7 : Determination of statistical parameters
Chapter 8 : Computation of failure probability: Application to component design
Chapter 9 : Case studies: Comparison of failure predictions using the Weibull and Multiaxial Elemental Strength Models Chapter 10: Application of statistical-probabilistic approaches to damage and fracture of composite materials and structures