Abstract
A multiscale finite element (FE) methodology is applied to study failure behaviour of an intercalated epoxy-clay nanocomposite. A 2D FE model of the nanocomposite is built to capture nanocomposite morphology and gallery failure mechanism. Intercalated morphology is reconstructed using a random dispersion of clay tactoids within the epoxy matrix, while the galleries are modeled using cohesive zone elements. The nanocomposite response is predicted by numerical homogenization technique. The effects of cohesive law parameters (particularly the fracture energy) and clay volume fraction on the macroscopic behavior of the nanocomposite are investigated. The analysis shows that gallery failure is the main cause of strength reduction of the nanocomposite. Moreover, the strength reduction is found to increase with the clay content, which is in a qualitative agreement with available experimental results.
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