Finite element simulation of thermally-induced failure of interfaces

A welded brass/steel interface was analyzed to gain an insight into the interface failure associated with thermal mismatch. The commercial finite element program, ABAQUS, was used to calculate the stress distribution, especially near the end of the interface. Both two, and three dimensional models were used to analyze the effects of the interface layer thickness and the variation of the material properties within the interface layer on the stress distribution near the interface. Two types of nonlinear spring elements were incorporated into the finite element program to simulate tensile force and shear, to analyze the thermally-induced failure of interfaces. The results show that interface layer thickness exerts a significant influence on the maximum stress while the different laws describing the material variation lead to a little difference in the stress distributions. In the case of thermal loading, the interface shearing is a typical failure mode.