The solution of appropriate elasticity problems involving the interaction between inclusions and dislocations plays a fundamental role in many practical and theoretical applications, namely, it increases the understanding of material defects thereby providing valuable insight into the mechanical behavior of composite materials.
Although the problem of a three-phase circular inclusion interacting with a dislocation in antiplane shear has been presented [Xiao and Chen, Mech. Mater. 32 (2000) 485], the analysis is limited to the classical perfect bonding condition. The current paper considers the solution for a homogeneous circular inclusion interacting with a dislocation under thermal loadings in antiplane shear. The bonding along the inhomogeneity-matrix interface is considered to be imperfect with the assumption that the interface imperfections are constant. It is found that when the inhomogeneity is soft, regardless of the level of interface imperfection, the inhomogeneity will always attract the dislocation. As a result, no equilibrium positions are available. Alternatively, when the inhomogeneity is hard, an unstable equilibrium position is found which depends on the imperfect interface condition and the shear moduli ratio l 2 =l 1 .