Theresultsofatheoreticalstudyontheinfluenceofstrengthofinterphaseboundariesinmetal—ceramiccompositeonmacroscopicalcharacteristicsofcompositeresponsesuchasstrength,deformationcapacity,fractureenergyandfracturepatternarepresented.Thestudywasconductedbymeansofcomputer-aidedsimulationbymeansofmovablecellularautomatonmethodtakingaccountofadeveloped'mesoscopical'structuralmodelofparticle-reinforcedcomposite.Thestrengthofinterphaseboundariesisfoundtobeakeystructuralfactordeterminingnotonlythestrengthpropertiesofmetal—ceramiccomposite,butalsothepatternandrateoffracture.Theprinciplesforachievementofthehigh-strengthvaluesofparticle/binderinterfacesinthemetal—ceramiccompositionduetotheformationofthewidetransitionzones(areasofvariablechemicalcomposition)attheinterphaseboundariesarediscussed.Simulationresultsconfirmthatsuchtransitionzonesprovideachangeinfracturemechanismandmaketheachievementofahigh-strengthandahighdeformationcapacityofmetal—ceramiccompositepossible.
