Fracture of Polymeric Heterogeneous Materials with Micro- and Nano-Fillers: Multiscale Measurements and Modeling

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Fracture of Polymeric Heterogeneous Materials with Micro-Fillers Multiscale Measurements (Revised Title)Broader Impact: Particulate composites constitute an important sub-class of composite materials used in a number of engineering applications - light-weight structures, solid propellants, electronic systems and MEMS, biologically inspired materials, - to name a few. In this context, understanding the failure behavior of particulate composites at both micro- and macro-scales is central to the design and reliability of mechanical members made of these materials.Intellectual Merit: An investigation into the fracture behavior of polymeric heterogeneous materials with micron size fillers under static and dynamic loading conditions is proposed. Present literature on the topic is generally limited to quasi-static studies and the proposed work will address much needed understanding of potential loading rate effects on fracture behavior of this class of materials. The research will focus on the interplay between filler particle size and volume fraction on the effective fracture toughness of materials under low- and high-strain rates of loading. The work will be limited to micron size fillers and will include aspects of material processing, macro- (optical and/or strain gage measurements) and micro- (SEM, surface profilers) measurements and phenomenological modeling of the fracture process. Educational Aspects: On the educational front, the proposed research will be used to partially support a graduate student in an integrated learning program involving materials processing, mechanical and optical characterization of materials and modeling. Original research from the program will be disseminated through archival journal publications, presentations at focussed symposia and world-wide-web.