5/14/2020 Microvoid coalescence - Wikipedia

Microvoid coalescence
Microvoid coalescence (MVC) is a high energy microscopic fracture mechanism observed in the majority of
metallic alloys and in some engineering plastics.

Fracture process
MVC proceeds in three stages: nucleation, growth, and coalescence of microvoids. The nucleation of microvoids
can be caused by particle cracking or interfacial failure between precipitate particles and the matrix.
Additionally, microvoids often form at grain boundaries or inclusions within the material.[1][2] Microvoids grow
during plastic flow of the matrix, and microvoids coalesce when adjacent microvoids link together or the
material between microvoids experiences necking. Microvoid coalescence leads to fracture.[3] Void growth rates
can be predicted assuming continuum plasticity using the Rice-Tracey model[2]: SEM image of microvoid
coalescence seen on a ductile
fracture surface of 6061-T6 Al

where is the yield stress, is the mean stress, is the equivalent Von Mises plastic strain, is the particle size, and produced by the stress
triaxality:

Fracture surface morphologies

MVC can result in three distinct fracture morphologies based on the type of loading at failure. Tensile loading results in equiaxed dimples, which are
spherical depressions a few micrometres in diameter that coalesce normal to the loading axis. Shear stresses will result elongated dimples, which are
parabolic depressions that coalesce in planes of maximum shear stress. The depressions point back to the crack origin, and shear influenced failure
will produce depressions that point in opposite directions on opposing fracture surfaces. Combined tension and bending will also produce the
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elongated dimple morphology, but the directions of the depressions will be in the same direction on both fracture
surfaces.

References
1. Askeland, Donald R. (January 2015). The science and engineering of materials. Wright, Wendelin J. (Seventh
ed.). Boston, MA. pp. 236–237. ISBN 978-1-305-07676-1. OCLC 903959750 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/9039
59750).
2. Soboyejo, W.O (2003). Mechanical properties of engineered materials. Marcel Dekker. pp. 393–394. ISBN 0-
203-91039-7. OCLC 54091550 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54091550).
3. Hertzberg, Richard W. Deformation and Fracture Mechanics of Engineering Materials, Fourth Edition. John Wiley
and Sons, Inc, Hoboken, NJ: 1996.

MVC fracture surface

morphologies for a) tension,
b) shear, and c) bending
failures

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