Stress concentration at a notch tip in unidirectional metal matrix composites

A method to calculate static stress concentration factors in the fibers at the tip of a rectangular notch in unidirectional metal matrix composites was presented based on the shear lag analysis for a two-dimensional (2-D) model. By using this method, the influences of matrix yielding, width and size of notch, and size of specimen on the stress concentration factors were described. Furthermore, this method was applied successfully to describe the load-COD curve and tensile strength of notched-boron/aluminum and alumina/aluminum composites.