1. Physical aspects of fragmentation

1.1 Rupture phenomenon

The fragmentation of solids results from the action of a stress field generated by contact forces (compression, shear, torsion, bending, attrition, and more rarely traction). This field therefore varies with the intensity and distribution of the forces, and with the nature, shape and structural discontinuities of the solid. It also varies with the dynamics of deformation. The distribution of stresses induces the network of cracks, whose density and orientation condition the size and shape of the fragments and, consequently, their fineness.

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