Three-dimensional examination of tearing fracture mechanism of PVC foams via peridynamics

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foams are primarily used in many industries, such as construction, aerospace, marine, and automotive; thus, understanding their fracture behavior is vital. The paper presents a new study about the three-dimensional fracture behavior of PVC foams using the peridynamic method, where we pay more attention to the tearing fracture mechanics of these foams. We introduce an all-inclusive simulation framework incorporating peridynamic theory to estimate crack propagation in PVC foams. The fracture initiation, growth, and coalescence processes are efficiently captured using the proposed three-dimensional peridynamic model (3D-PDM). The effectiveness and validity of the proposed 3D-PDM are demonstrated through detailed comparisons with experimental data and measurements in predicting fracture patterns and failure loads. The results emphasize the capability of the peridynamic approach in capturing complex fracture phenomena in PVC foams. Therefore, the study provides an efficient tool for researchers and engineers to improve the design of foam-based structures, accordingly enhancing their safety and reliability. Our study not only provides a detailed investigation of the tearing mechanism in PVC foams under various loading and boundary conditions but also highlights the potential of the peridynamic model. The study reveals that bending on PVC foam increases in-plane tearing while decreasing through-the-thickness tearing. Further exploration of the proposed 3D-PDM applications in other polymeric and composite materials could be achieved, offering hope for its potential in fracture mechanics research.