Micromechanical modeling of the competition between transgranular and intergranular ductile fracture

In many metallic alloys used in industrial applications, such as precipitation hardened alloys, competition between transgranular and intergranular ductile fracture is observed experimentally. If the latter prevails, material ductility is strongly reduced, which advocates for a comprehensive modeling of this phenomenon. Based on the mechanical homogenization of porous materials, a micromechanical model for intergranular ductile fracture is proposed and used for microstructure-informed investigation of the competition between trangranular and intergranular ductile failure.