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

多尺度测量（修订后的标题）更广泛的影响：颗粒复合材料构成了复合材料的一个重要子类，用于许多工程应用-轻质结构，固体推进剂，电子系统和MEMS，生物启发材料，仅举几例。 在这种情况下，了解颗粒复合材料在微观和宏观尺度的失效行为是中央的设计和可靠性的机械构件制成的这些material.Intellectual优点：调查到静态和动态载荷条件下的断裂行为的聚合物非均质材料与微米尺寸的填料。目前关于这一主题的文献一般仅限于准静态研究，拟议的工作将解决急需了解的潜在加载速率对这类材料断裂行为的影响。 研究将集中在填料粒度和体积分数之间的相互作用，对材料的有效断裂韧性在低和高应变率的负载。 这项工作将限于微米尺寸的填料，并将包括材料加工，宏观（光学和/或应变计测量）和微观（SEM，表面轮廓仪）测量和断裂过程的现象学建模方面。 教育方面：在教育方面，拟议的研究将用于部分支持研究生在一个综合学习计划，涉及材料加工，材料和建模的机械和光学表征。 该计划的原始研究将通过档案期刊出版物，专题研讨会和万维网上的演讲进行传播。

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.