@article{McCarthyStoyanovRychkovetal.2012,
  author    = {McCarthy, Denis N. and Stoyanov, Hristiyan and Rychkov, Dmitry and Ragusch, Huelya and Melzer, Michael and Kofod, Guggi},
  title     = {Increased permittivity nanocomposite dielectrics by controlled interfacial interactions},
  series = {Composites science and technology},
  volume    = {72},
  journal   = {Composites science and technology},
  number    = {6},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0266-3538},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.compscitech.2012.01.026},
  pages     = {731 -- 736},
  year      = {2012},
  abstract  = {The use of nanoparticles in polymer composite dielectrics has promised great improvements, but useful results have been elusive. Here, the importance of the interfacial interactions between the nanoparticles and the polymer matrix are investigated in TiO2 nanocomposites for dielectric materials using surface functionalisation. The interface is observed to dominate the nanocomposite properties and leads to a threefold increase in permittivity at volume fractions as low as 10\%. Surface functionalisation of the filler nanoparticles with silanes allows control of this interface, avoiding significant degradation of the other important material properties, particularly electrical breakdown strength, and resulting in a material that is demonstrated successfully as an active material in a dielectric elastomer actuator application with increased work output compared to the pure polymer. Although further permittivity increases are observed when the interface regions have formed a percolation network, the other material properties deteriorate. The observation of percolation behaviour allows the interface thickness to be estimated.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BrunoKachanovSevostianovetal.2018,
  author    = {Bruno, Giovanni and Kachanov, Mark and Sevostianov, Igor and Shyam, Amit},
  title     = {Micromechanical modeling of non-linear stress-strain behavior of polycrystalline microcracked materials under tension},
  series = {Acta materialia},
  volume    = {164},
  journal   = {Acta materialia},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {1359-6454},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.actamat.2018.10.024},
  pages     = {50 -- 59},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {The stress-strain behavior of microcracked polycrystalline materials (such as ceramics or rocks) under conditions of tensile, displacement-controlled, loading is discussed. Micromechanical explanation and modeling of the basic features, such as non-linearity and hysteresis in stress-strain curves, is developed, with stable microcrack propagation and "roughness" of intergranular cracks playing critical roles. Experiments involving complex loading histories were done on large- and medium grain size beta-eucryptite ceramic. The model is shown to reproduce the basic features of the observed stress-strain curves. (C) 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.},
  language  = {en}
}