An Energy-Based Model for Void Nucleation Around Rigid Inclusion from Combined Mechanical Loading and Thermal Cycling

This article presents a new energy-based model for predicting void nucleation in materials under thermal cycling. Based on the micromechanical analysis of a unit cell, the local stress-strain field was calculated when it is under purely mechanical, thermal cycling, as well as in combination of these two types of loads. The results obtained from analytical calculations show that the imbalance in thermal stresses between the inclusions and matrix can assist the external load to cause void nucleation. Under certain conditions of mechanical and thermal cycling, both plastic strain and plastic energy density of the interface accumulate during each thermal cycle, which govern the void nucleation process.