Fracture toughness enhancement of thermoplastic/epoxy blends by the plastic yield of toughening agents: A multiscale analysis

We propose a strategy of multiscale analysis to predict enhancements in fracture toughness of thermoplastic/epoxy blends by the plastic yield of toughening agents. As main mechanisms of toughness enhancement of thermoplastic/epoxy blends, we considered plastic deformation in the material near the macroscopic crack tip, and particle bridging in the crack wake. The proposed multiscale model is validated through the reported experimental data. Using the proposed multiscale model, some useful guidelines for the proper selection of toughening agent were devised.