Role of Poisson’s ratio mismatch on the crack path in glass matrix particulate composites

The improvement of the mechanical properties of glass matrix particulate composites has been extensively studied in the past 40 years. Emphasis has mostly been placed on the influence of mismatches of the elastic moduli and coefficient of thermal expansion. However, little attention was paid to Poisson's ratio so far, although we show by means of analytical analysis and finite element method (FEM) that it has a major influence on the stress field distribution, the stress intensity factor and thus on the crack path in the vicinity of the inclusion. Due to local stress changes, crack front pinning and bridging phenomena are predicted in the case of adhesive particles with smaller than the one of the matrix. Nevertheless, when located close to the surface, such particles might play the role of stress concentrators. Glass offers a unique opportunity to vary composition and properties in a continuous manner, hence opening a new realm of possibilities for tuning Poisson's ratio to improve the resistance the glass composite opposes to crack extension.