Modelling interfacial cracking and matrix cracking in particle reinforced composites using the extended Voronoi cell finite element method

In this paper, a new extended Voronoi cell finite element method (X-VCFEM), in which two new elements in the crack propagation process are proposed and a remeshing algorithm is constructed, is proposed to model the initiation and propagation of the interface crack and the matrix crack in particulate reinforced composites. In order to accurately capture crack-tip stress concentrations, some singular stress terms of Williams expansion in the...