Intensity of singular stress fields causing interfacial debonding at the end of a fiber under pullout force and transverse tension

Abstract

In this study, singular stress fields at the ends of fibers are discussed by the use of models of rectangular and cylindrical inclusions in a semi-infinite body under pullout force. Those singular stresses have not been discussed yet in the previous studies for pullout problems although they are important for causing interfacial initial debonding. The body force method is used to formulate those problems as a system of singular integral equations where unknowns are densities of the body forces distributed in a semi-infinite body having the same elastic constants as those of the matrix and inclusions. In order to compare the results with the previous solutions, tension problems of a fiber in a semi-infinite body are also considered. Then, generalized stress intensity factors at the corner of rectangular and cylindrical inclusions are systematically calculated for various geometrical conditions with varying the elastic ratio, length, and spacing of the location from edge to inner of the body. The effects of elastic modulus ratio and aspect ratio of inclusion upon the stress intensity factors are discussed for pullout problems.