Effect of electric displacement saturation on the stress intensity factor for a crack in a ferroelectric ceramic

A crack in a ferroelectric ceramic with perfect saturation under electric loading is analyzed. The boundary of the electric displacement saturation zone ahead of the crack tip is assumed to be ellipse in shape. The shape and size of ferroelectric domain switching zone near a crack tip is determined based on the nonlinear electric theory. The stress intensity factor induced by ferroelectric domain switching under small-scale conditions is numerically obtained as a function of the electric saturation zone parameter and the ratio of the coercive electric field to the yield electric field. It is found that the stress intensity factor increases as the ratio of the semi-axes of the saturation ellipse increases.     

An I-integral method for crack-tip intensity factor variation due to domain switching in ferroelectric single-crystals

In the present study, an I-integral method is established for solving the crack-tip intensity factors of ferroelectric single-crystals. The I-integral combined with the phase field model is successfully used to investigate crack-tip intensity factor variations due to domain switching in ferroelectricity subjected to electromechanical loadings, which exhibits several advantages over previous methods based on small-scale switching. First, the shape of the switching zone around a crack tip is predicted by the time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau equation, which does not require preset energy-based switching criterion. Second, the I-integral can directly solve the crack-tip intensity factors and decouple the crack-tip intensity factors of different modes based on superimposing an auxiliary state onto an actual state. Third, the I-integral is area-independent, namely, the I-integral is not affected by the integral area size, the polarization distributions, or domain walls. This makes the I-integral applicable to large-scale domain switching. To this end, the electro-elastic field intensity factors of an impermeable crack in PbTiO₃ ferroelectric single crystals are evaluated under electrical, mechanical, and combined loading. The intensity factors obtained by the I-integral agree well with those obtained by the extrapolation technique. From numerical results, the following conclusions can be drawn with respect to fracture behavior of ferroelectrics under large-scale switching. Under displacement controlled mechanical loading, the stress intensity factors (SIFs) decrease monotonically due to the domain switching process, which means a crack tip shielding or effective switching-induced toughening occurs. If an external electric field is applied, the electric displacement intensity factor (EDIF) increases in all cases, i.e., the formed domain patterns enhance the electric crack tip loading. The energy release rate, expressed by the crack-tip J-integral, is reduced by the domain switching in all examples, which underlines the switching-induced-toughening effect. In contrast, under stress controlled load, the SIF evolves due to large-scale switching to a stable value, which is higher than the non-switching initial value, i.e., fracture is promoted in this case.     

Fatigue crack growth induced by domain switching under electromechanical load in ferroelectrics

Reliability calls for a better understanding of the failure of ferroelectric ceramics. The fracture and fatigue of ferroelectric ceramics under an electric field or a combined electric and mechanical loading are investigated. The small-scale domain-switching model is modified to analyze failure due to fracture and fatigue. Effects of anisotropy and electromechanical load coupling are taken into account. Analytical expressions are obtained for domain-switching regions near the crack tip such that of 90° domain switching can be distinguished from 180° domain switching in addition to different initial poling directions. The crack tip stress intensity variation of ferroelectric ceramics due to the domain switching is analyzed. A positive electric field tends to enhance the propagation of an insulating crack perpendicular to the poling direction, while a negative field impedes it. Fatigue crack growth under various coupling loads and effects of the stress field and electric field on near field stress intensity variation are analyzed. Predicted crack growth versus cyclic electric field agrees well with experiment.     

压电薄膜表面贯穿裂纹的有限元分析

基于有限元软件ANSYS数值模拟,计算了激光作用下的压电薄膜表面贯穿裂纹外场应力强度因子和电位移强度因子,并且研究了90°畴变所诱致的畴变增韧行为。首先,求解无裂纹压电薄膜在激光作用下的热-力-电响应,将求得的应力和电位移场反向作用于裂纹面,求解裂纹尖端处的外场应力和电位移强度因子,然后基于小范围畴变理论求解了90°畴变所致的屏蔽应力强度因子。讨论了薄膜表面裂纹的外场应力强度因子、电位移强度因子及屏蔽应力强度因子随激光作用时间和裂纹位置的变化关系,从而预测压电薄膜体系在加热工作状况下的裂纹扩展和断裂行为。     

Study on fracture behavior of ferroelectric ceramics under combined electromechanical loading by using a moiré interferometry technique

This paper discusses an in situ observation of fracture behavior around a crack tip in ferroelectric ceramics under combined electromechanical loading by use of a moiré interferometry technique. The deformation field induced by the electric field and the stress concentration near the crack tip in three-points bending experiments was measured. By analysis of the moiré images it is found that under a constant mechanical load, the electric field almost has no effect on the crack extension in the case that the directions of the poling, electric field and crack extension are perpendicular to each other. When the poling direction is parallel to the crack extension direction and perpendicular to the electric field, the strain decreases faster than that calculated by FEM with and without electrical loading as one goes away from the crack tip. In addition, as the electric field intensity increases, the strain near the crack tip increases, and the strain concentration becomes more significant. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10132010, 10025209, 10232023)     

Tuning of non-uniform switch toughening in ferroelectric composites by an electric field

This paper deals with a mode III interfacial crack subject to anti-plane stress and in-plane electric fields. The analysis concentrates on the tuning of fracture toughness from non-uniform ferroelectric-ferroelastic domain switch-ing by an electric field. The electric loading changes the size of the asymmetric switching zone. Employing the weight function method, we obtain the electrically-dependent switch toughening for stationary and quasi-static growing interfacial cracks, respectively. Multi-domain solutions are derived for non-poled and fully-poled ferroelectric composites. Numer-ical results are presented on the electric field tuning of the critical applied stress intensity factor. The research provides ways to optimize fracture properties of ferroelectric compos-ites by altering the electric field.     

Pre-kinking of a moving crack in a magnetoelectroelastic material under in-plane loading

A constant moving crack in a magnetoelectroelastic material under in-plane mechanical, electric and magnetic loading is studied for impermeable crack surface boundary conditions. Fourier transform is employed to reduce the mixed boundary value problem of the crack to dual integral equations, which are solved exactly. Steady-state asymptotic fields near the crack tip are obtained in closed form and the corresponding field intensity factors are expressed explicitly. The crack speed influences the singular field distribution around the crack tip and the effects of electric and magnetic loading on the crack tip fields are discussed. The crack kinking phenomena is investigated using the maximum hoop stress intensity factor criterion. The magnitude of the maximum hoop stress intensity factor tends to increase as the crack speed increases.     

压电材料裂纹顶端条状电饱和区模型的力学分析

在线性压电本构方程框架下,对裂纹顶端条状电饱和区模型进行了严格的数学分析．完整地考虑了各向异性力电耦合效应．建立了电饱和区尺寸与外加电场的依赖关系．证实了当裂纹垂直极化轴时,压电材料的断裂应力随着外加正电场的增加而减小,随着外加负电场的增加而增加．当裂纹平行于极化轴时,与极化轴平行的外加电场对断裂应力无影响     

Antiplane mechanical and inplane electric time-dependent load applied to two coplanar cracks in piezoelectric ceramic material

This work is concerned with the dynamic response of two coplanar cracks in a piezoelectric ceramic under antiplane mechanical and inplane electric time-dependent load. The cracks are assumed to act either as an insulator or as a conductor. Laplace and Fourier transforms are used to reduce the mixed boundary value problems to Cauchy-type singular integral equations in Laplace transform domain. A numerical Laplace inversion algorithm is used to determine the dynamic stress and electric displacement factors that depend on time and geometry. A normalized equivalent parameter describing the ratio of the equivalent magnitude of electric load to that of mechanical load is introduced in the numerical computation of the dynamic stress intensity factor (DSIF) which has a similar trend as that for the pure elastic material. The results show that the dynamic electric field will impede or enhance crack propagation in a piezoelectric ceramic material at different stages of the dynamic electromechanical load. Moreover, the electromechanical response is greatly affected by the ratio of the crack length to the ligament between the cracks. The stress and electric displacement intensity factor can be combined by the energy density factor or function to address the fracture of piezoelectric materials under the combined influence of electromechanical loading.     

Re-examination of the PKHS crack model in piezoelectric materials

In this paper, the PKHS crack model is re-examined in detail. Some novel features and better understandings are presented. It is found that the normal crack opening displacement jump (NCODJ) across the crack is always extremely small, whereas the electric potential drop (EPD) across the crack is very large for PZT-4 or PZT-5H under 20 MPa and a varying electric field from −0.5 MV/m to 0.5 MV/m. It is also found that the permittivities of the medium inside the crack gap influence the NCODJ and the EPD significantly. Of great significance is that the crack tip energy release rate (ERR) does not always show an even functional dependence on the applied electric field as previous researchers reported. Its variable tendencies (even or odd) depend on the mechanical loading levels, which are called as the load dependence feature here. In PZT-4, this load-dependence feature induced from the increasing mechanical loading may lead to a transformation of the crack tip ERR from an even functional dependence to an odd one when the applied electric loading varies within the range mentioned above, whereas in PZT-5H no such feature exists. This implies that different mechanical loading levels may yield different fracture behaviors when using the crack tip ERR as a fracture criterion. Moreover, the permittivities of medium inside the PKHS crack gap influence the variable tendencies of the ERR significantly. Thus, a useful addition to previous works is provided and a reasonable explanation for the fundamental discrepancy between previous theoretical predictions and experimental observations in piezoelectric fracture can be given. That is, previous experiments were performed for quite different piezoelectric materials, under quite different mechanical loading levels, and with quite different media inside crack gaps.     

NiTi形状记忆合金裂纹尖端热力耦合行为研究

本文对NiTi形状记忆合金I型裂纹尖端热力耦合行为进行了数值仿真分析和实验验证。建立了包含相变和热力耦合的本构模型,通过有限元计算得到了裂纹尖端附近的纵向应变、马氏体体积分数和温度场分布,依据马氏体相变情况对裂纹尖端有效应力强度因子进行了修正,揭示了加载速率对形状记忆合金裂纹尖端有效应力强度影子的影响规律。参数研究表明,随着加载频率的增加,裂纹尖端附近温度逐渐升高,马氏体相变区域逐渐缩小,有效应力强度因子呈下降趋势,形状记忆合金表现出增韧效应,有助于减缓裂纹扩展。本研究结果对于揭示热力耦合作用下超弹性形状记忆合金疲劳裂纹扩展规律具有重要参考意义。     

压电体中考虑表面效应时开裂孔洞的断裂特征

研究了反平面机械载荷和面内电载荷作用下压电体中考虑表面效应时孔边双裂纹问题的断裂特征。基于Gurtin-Murdoch表面理论模型，通过构造映射函数，利用复势电弹理论获得了应力场和电位移场的闭合解答。给出了裂纹尖端应力强度因子、电位移场强因子和能量释放率的解析解。讨论了开裂孔洞几何参数和施加力电载荷对电弹场强因子和能量释放率的影响。     

电可通纳米尺度孔边均布多裂纹的电弹断裂分析

解析研究了面内电载荷和反平面机械载荷作用下压电体中纳米尺度圆孔边均布电可通多裂纹问题的断裂性能。基于Gurtin-Murdoch表面弹性理论,利用保角映射方法和复变弹性理论给出了裂纹尖端电弹场分布、电弹场强度因子及能量释放率的解析结果。阐述了无量纲电弹场强度因子、无量纲能量释放率的尺寸依赖效应,讨论了裂纹数量和缺陷几何参数对无量纲场强度因子和无量纲能量释放率的影响。结果表明：无量纲电弹场强度因子和无量纲能量释放率具有显著的尺寸依赖效应;考虑表面效应,孔径和裂纹长度相当时,电弹场强度因子达到最大;裂纹/孔径比对电弹场强度因子随裂纹数量变化的制约会随着裂纹数量的增加而逐渐消失;过大或过小的裂纹孔径比会削弱裂纹长度对能量释放率的影响。     

Analytical representation of the non-square-root singular stress field at a finite angle sharp notch

The stress field near the tip of a finite angle sharp notch is singular. However, unlike a crack, the order of the singularity at the notch tip is less than one-half. Under tensile loading, such a singularity is characterized by a generalized stress intensity factor which is analogous to the mode I stress intensity factor used in fracture mechanics, but which has order less than one-half. By using a cohesive zone model for a notional crack emanating from the notch tip, we relate the critical value of the generalized stress intensity factor to the fracture toughness. The results show that this relation depends not only on the notch angle, but also on the maximum stress of the cohesive zone model. As expected the dependence on that maximum stress vanishes as the notch angle approaches zero. The results of this analysis compare very well with a numerical (finite element) analysis in the literature. For mixed-mode loading the limits of applicability of using a mode I failure criterion are explored.     

电可通纳米尺度孔边均布多裂纹的电弹断裂分析

解析研究了面内电载荷和反平面机械载荷作用下压电体中纳米尺度圆孔边均布电可通多裂纹问题的断裂性能。基于Gurtin-Murdoch表面弹性理论，利用保角映射方法和复变弹性理论给出了裂纹尖端电弹场分布、电弹场强度因子及能量释放率的解析结果。阐述了无量纲电弹场强度因子、无量纲能量释放率的尺寸依赖效应，讨论了裂纹数量和缺陷几何参数对无量纲场强度因子和无量纲能量释放率的影响。结果表明：无量纲电弹场强度因子和无量纲能量释放率具有显著的尺寸依赖效应；考虑表面效应，孔径和裂纹长度相当时，电弹场强度因子达到最大；裂纹/孔径比对电弹场强度因子随裂纹数量变化的制约会随着裂纹数量的增加而逐渐消失；过大或过小的裂纹孔径比会削弱裂纹长度对能量释放率的影响。     

Numerical simulation of domain switching in multilayer ferroelectric actuators

Micromechanical finite element methods are developed based on a nonlinear constitutive model of ferroelectric polycrystals. Electromechanical behaviors ahead of an internal electrode tip are numerically simulated in multilayer ferroelectric actuators. Around the electrode edge, the nonuniform electric field generates a concentration of stress due to the incompatible strain as well as spontaneous strain. The preferred domain switching enhances the concentration of residual stress and may cause the actuators to crack. An electrically permeable crack emanating from an internal electrode is analyzed. A large scale domain switching zone is found in the vicinity of crack tips. The larger the actuating strain and electric field are, the larger the switching zone will be. The size of switching zone even reaches the scale of crack length with increasing electromechanical loading.     

Why traction-free? Piezoelectric crack and Coulombic traction

The non-zero traction condition is introduced in piezoelectric crack problems with the unknown Coulombic traction acting on the crack surfaces. An analytical solution under this condition is obtained by means of the generalized Stroh formalism and by accounting for the permittivity of medium inside the crack gap. As the crack in such materials can be thought of as a low-capacitance medium carrying a potential drop, the Coulombic traction always pulls the two opposite surfaces of the crack together. It is proved that under relatively larger mechanical loading and relatively smaller electrical field, the Coulombic traction may be negligible and the previous investigations under the traction-free crack condition may be accepted in a tolerant way, otherwise the Coulombic traction may lead to some erroneous results with over 10% relative errors. It is also shown that, unlike the traction-free crack condition, the applied electric field does change the Mode I stress intensity factor (SIF) for a central crack in an infinite plane piezoelectric material, and in this way may significantly influence piezoelectric fracture. It is also concluded that the variable tendencies of the normalized SIF and the ERR against the applied electric field depend on the mechanical loading levels. This load-dependence feature may lead to a transformation of the normalized SIF and the ERR from an even functional dependence to an odd functional dependence on the applied electric field.     

动静荷载对邻近巷道裂纹缺陷扰动的模拟实验

为了探究动静组合应力场作用下邻近巷道背爆侧裂纹缺陷的扩展规律,采用动静加载透射式动态焦散线方法进行了模拟实验,并结合裂纹尖端的动态应力强度因子和能量释放率进行了分析。实验结果表明:在动静荷载作用下,邻近巷道背爆侧裂纹缺陷处也成为巷道主要扰动区,且爆炸荷载对背爆侧预制裂纹的起裂起主导作用;p=0.2 MPa时的相同动静组合应力场中,背爆侧预制裂纹的扩展位移差异与裂纹的倾角有关,当θ=75°时,爆炸应力波无法驱动裂纹起裂;在相同爆炸荷载作用下,θ=30°时,较小竖向荷载对裂纹的扩展具有抑制作用,且抑制作用随所施加的竖向荷载增加而增大,当p=0.4 MPa时,裂纹无法起裂;裂纹最终扩展位移,与裂纹尖端动态应力强度因子在极大值上下振荡变化的持续时间,或在裂纹扩展阶段能量释放率积累量,呈正相关。     

Analytic solutions to crack tip plastic zone under various loading conditions

Based on stress field equations and Hill yield criterion, the crack tip plastic zone is determined for orthotropic materials and isotropic materials under small-scale yielding condition. An analytical solution to calculating the crack tip plastic zone in plane stress states is presented. The shape and size of the plastic zone are analyzed under different loading conditions. The obtained results show that the crack tip plastic zones present “butterfly-like” shapes, and the elastic–plastic boundary is smooth. The size of the plastic zone for orthotropic composites is less at the crack tip for various loading conditions, compared with the case of isotropic materials. Crack inclination angle and loading conditions affect greatly the size and shape of crack tip plastic zone. The mode I crack has a crucial effect on the plastic zone for mixed mode case in plane stress state. The plastic zone for pure mode I crack and pure mode II crack have a symmetrical distribution to the initial crack plane.     

压电材料平面问题的尖端场和应力强度因子的求解

利用Lekhnitskii理论和Stroh理论的相互联系,把已知的基于Lekhnitskii理论平面应变结果转化为Stroh理论形式的结果,直接获得Stroh公式中A,B的显式表达式,此方法可扩展到平面应力情况,然后导出压电材料平面应变问题的尖端场Williams形式的展开式,采用半权函数法计算有限大压电体平面问题应力和电位移强度因子。对无穷大板含中心裂纹的情况下本文结果和已有结果进行了比较,表明本文方法得到的结果精度可靠。本文方法的最大优点是可以求解有限压电体的应力强度因子,并且需要的单元少,精度高,实用性好。