Interface failure by cavity growth to coalescence

For a thin metal layer between ceramics ductile failure by the growth of voids along one of the interfaces is studied numerically. An axisymmetric cell model is used to represent an array of uniformly distributed hemispherical interface voids. The bonding to the ceramics gives rise to highly constrained plastic flow, which may result in a cavitation instability in some cases. Remeshing is used in the cell model computations to be able to follow void growth to a state very near final void coalescence. The analyses are used to determine the traction-separation law relevant to interface crack growth by a ductile void growth mechanism. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.