Historical purview and recent advances in fracture mechanics of elastomeric matrix composites

Abstract

The evolution of fracture mechanics and its application for elastomeric matrix composites are briefly discussed. We begin with the studies on development of classical fracture mechanics and review the efforts made over decades to quantify governing parameters and theories pertaining to elastomeric composites' failure. The advancement in experimental techniques such as in-situ scanning electron microscopy and digital image correlation used to study the fracture behavior of these materials is briefly elaborated. The constitutive modeling of hyperelastic/viscoelastic materials and their implementation in finite element analysis are discussed. The experimental and FEA-assisted methodologies used to calculate essential fracture parameters like J-integral, crack tip opening displacement, and geometry factor are briefly reviewed. At last, we emphasize the transition from essential work of fracture theory leading to phase-field damage modeling of elastomeric composites. The discussed fracture models are of great value for industries and biomedical applications.