A mesomechanical approach to inhomogeneous particulate composite undergoing localized damage:: part II—theory and application

A mesomechanical framework for localized damage law in inhomogeneous particulate-reinforced metal matrix composites (PMMCs) is developed through a mesodomain simulation methodology in Part I. The average local stress-strain of mesodomains is derived by Eshelbyʹs strain transformation method. The local damage rate in mesodomains is expressed in terms of local strain energy density of the subdomains. The overall weighting of local damage is then obtained by taking its spatial average over the entire domain. A ®nite element model of mesodomains undergoing localized damage reveals that the global damage factor is proportional to the local damage and the mesodomainʹs volume fraction. This holds until the plastic strain spreads into a macroscopic scale. An application of this mesomechanical damage theory is presented to predict the localized damage life of PMM