On fracture initiation in a material with an ellipsoidal inclusion

Fracture initiation at the interface of an inclusion in a metallic material both at room and elevated temperatures, using the equivalent inclusion method, is discussed theoretically. It is shown that the critical strain for fracture initiation at the interface of the inclusion is strongly affected by shape, size, orientation and rigidity of the inclusion, and by the presence of external stress. Dynamic recovery by diffusion of atoms has a large effect on the decohesion at the inclusion-matrix interface in the high-temperature range. Fracture initiation of a brittle material strengthened with strong fibres is also discussed.