Influence of domain switching zones on the fracture toughness of ferroelectrics

The paper presents a fracture model for ferroelectric materials taking into account the hysteretic domain switching processes near to the tip of a macroscopic crack. The model is based on the balance of energy supplied by the driving forces, on the one hand, and the total of energies either dissipated by domain switching, stored in the crack wake region or consumed by the formation of new fracture surface, on the other hand. An internal variable theory describes the nonlinear coupled electromechanical material response within the framework of a three-dimensional continuum model. For simplicity, the complex orientation distribution function of domains in a polycrystalline ceramic is approximated by only six representative space orientations. The theory predicts certain dimensionless material parameter combinations which govern the change of fracture toughness under the application of different mechanical and electrical loadings. A comparison with data available in the literature for barium titanate ceramics yields a reasonable coincidence.