Coupling of elastoplastic phase field and micromechanics for fatigue fracture in CNT/metal composites

Abstract

In this study, we developed a coupled method of micromechanics and elastoplastic phase field to elucidate the inherent connection between the microscopic characteristics and macroscopic fatigue performances of CNT/metal composites. A micromechanical model is initially established utilizing the mean field homogenization approach to assess the elastoplastic constitutive and fracture properties of CNT/metal composites. Based on this foundation, the phase field cohesive zone method is subsequently extended to the realm of elastoplastic fatigue. The predicted constitutive properties and fatigue life is verified by the tensile and cyclic test results of CNT/metal composites. Moreover, the efficiency and robustness of the presented framework for portraying fatigue crack propagation in CNT/metal composites is demonstrated through three typical cases.