Dynamic fragmentation of a ring: Predictable fragment mass distributions

We employ a finite element framework, coupled to cohesive elements, to model material decohesion of a uniformly expanding ring. Our study focuses on the average fragment mass, the distribution of fragment masses, and the heaviest fragments. The computed fragment mass distributions are best captured by generalized gamma distributions, regardless of the model parameters. However the distribution of the heaviest fragments depends upon toughness, specimen size, and loading rate.