Crack propagation in a glass particle-filled epoxy resin

Crack propagation in an epoxy resin reinforced with spherical glass particles has been followed using a double-torsion test. In particular the effect of strain rate, volume fraction and particle size upon the stability of propagation, the Young's modulus, the critical stress intensity factor,K _Ic and the fracture energy,G _Ic has been studied. It has been shown that the crack propagation behaviour can be explained principally in terms of crack pinning, although it has been found that propagation is also affected by blunting the breakdown of the particle—matrix interface. It has been demonstrated that crack-front pinning is consistent with a critical crack opening displacement criterion.