Thermal behavior of an elliptic inhomogeneity surrounded by a compliant interphase layer

This paper examines the thermal behavior of a plane elastic compliant interphase layer surrounding an elliptic inhomogeneity which is embedded within an infinite matrix. To allow continuity of traction but discontinuity of displacements, the compliant interphase is modeled as a spring layer with a vanishing thickness. Furthermore, to obtain the resulting thermal stresses, the complex variable method was used, together with a series solution. A commerical finite element package was used to validate the theoretical predictions. The results reveal that thermal stresses vary with the aspect ratio of the inhomogeneity and the parameterh describing the spring constant of the interphase layer for four different types of inhomogeneous materials: aluminum, copper, gold and silver. In all these cases, the matrix was assumed to be made of silicon and the thermal stresses were assumed to result from a uniform change in temperature.