Driving forces and kinking of an oblique crack in bonded nonhomogeneous materials

Summary  Plane elasticity solutions are presented for the problem of an oblique crack in two bonded media. The material model under consideration consists of a homogeneous half-plane with an arbitrarily oriented crack and a nonhomogeneous half-plane. The Fourier integral transform method is employed in conjunction with the coordinate transformations of field variables in the basic elasticity equations. Formulation of the crack problem results in having to solve a system of singular integral equations for arbitrary crack surface tractions. A crack perpendicular to or along the bonded interface between the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous constituents arises as a limiting case. In the numerical results, the values of mixed-mode stress intensity factors are provided for various combinations of relevant geometric and material parameters of the bonded media. Subsequently, the infinitesimal kinks from the tips of a main crack are presumed, with the corresponding local driving forces being evaluated in terms of the stress intensities of the main crack. The criterion of maximum energy release rate is applied with the aim of making some conjectures concerning the likelihood of kinking and the probable kink direction based on the approximation of local homogeneity and brittleness of the crack-tip behavior. Received 25 September 2001; accepted for publication 13 February 2002     

Extracting inter-particle forces in opaque granular materials: Beyond photoelasticity

This paper presents the first example of inter-particle force inference in real granular materials using an improved version of the methodology known as the Granular Element Method (GEM). GEM combines experimental imaging techniques with equations governing particle behavior to allow force inference in cohesionless materials with grains of arbitrary shape, texture, and opacity. This novel capability serves as a useful tool for experimentally characterizing granular materials, and provides a new means for investigating force networks. In addition to an experimental example, this paper presents a precise mathematical formulation of the inverse problem involving the governing equations and illustrates solution strategies.     

Use of equivalent body forces for acoustic emission from a crack in a plate

A method to determine acoustic emission of surface waves from a crack near the free edge of a plate, is presented, in terms of the function f(t), which defines the time dependence of the crack opening process, the crack opening volume per unit thickness of the plate, and the elastic constants of the plate. The determination of the time-varying displacement is based on the use of equivalent body forces, which are shown to be two double forces. The acoustic emission of the crack, or the equivalent radiation from the double forces, has been obtained by a novel use of the elastodynamic reciprocity theorem. It is of interest that the normal surface-wave displacement at a position x₀ of the free edge comes out as depending on df/dt evaluated at x₀ for t > x₀/c_R, where c_R is the velocity of surface waves on the free edge.     

Moving eccentric crack in a piezoelectric strip bonded to elastic materials

Summary  The steady-state of a propagation eccentric crack in a piezoelectric ceramic strip bonded between two elastic materials under combined anti-plane mechanical shear and in-plane electrical loadings is considered in this paper. The analysis based on the integral transform approach is conducted on the permeable crack condition. Field intensity factors and energy release rate are obtained in terms of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. It is shown for this geometry that the crack propagation speed has influence on the dynamic energy release rate. The initial crack branching angle for a PZT-5H piezoceramic structure is predicted by the maximum energy release rate criterion. Received 23 January 2001; accepted for publication 18 October 2001     

On the role of material dissipation for the crack-driving force

The thermodynamic setting for the formulation of the “crack-driving force” for a singular crack in conjunction with rate-independent material response is discussed. One key ingredient is the introduction of a fixed (absolute) configuration, relative to which both physical and (virtual) configurational and spatial changes can be described. Only quasistatic and isothermal conditions are considered in this paper. A variational framework is established for the rate of global energy dissipation (integrated over the whole material domain) due to the combined action of a (discrete) crack extension and continuum inelasticity, whereby the material time derivative of internal variables and the rate of crack extension are coupled. The classical assumption (previously adopted in the literature) is that there is no coupling, i.e. the internal variables are considered as fixed (material) fields just like an inhomogeneous material property. The other (extreme) assumption is that the internal variables fields are convected with the configurational motion due to the virtual crack extension. Both cases are investigated in this paper for a simple 2D example of an edge crack in a plate in a setting of small strains and hardening plasticity. In particular, we consider convergence issues from mesh refinement.     

Dynamical evolution of fracture process region in ductile materials

The aim of this paper is to investigate the dynamics of evolving finite fracture process regions in ductile material taking into account the dislocation motion.     

On the fracture behavior of inhomogeneous materials––A case study for elastically inhomogeneous bimaterials

This paper presents a case study, examining the influence of a sharp bimaterial interface on the effective crack driving force in a fracture mechanics specimen. The inhomogeneity of the elastic modulus in linear elastic and non-hardening and hardening elastic–plastic bimaterials is considered. The interface is perpendicular to the crack plane. The material properties and the distance between the crack tip and the interface are systematically varied. The effect of the material inhomogeneity is captured in form of a quantity called “material inhomogeneity term”, C_inh. This term can be evaluated either by a simple post-processing procedure, following a conventional finite element stress analysis, or by computing the J-integral along a contour around the interface, J_int. The effective crack driving force, J_tip, can be determined as the sum of C_inh and the nominally applied far-field crack driving force, J_far. The results show that C_inh can be accurately determined by both methods even in cases where J_tip-values are inaccurate. When a crack approaches a stiff/compliant interface, C_inh is positive and J_tip becomes larger than J_far. A compliant/stiff transition leads to a negative C_inh, and J_tip becomes smaller than J_far. The material inhomogeneity term, C_inh, can have the same order of magnitude as J_far. Based on the numerical results, the dependencies of C_inh on the material parameters and the geometry are derived. Simple expressions are obtained to estimate C_inh.     

Effect of material non-homogeneity on the inhomogeneous shearing deformation of a Gent slab subjected to a temperature gradient

It is well known that most rubber-like materials are non-homogeneous due to either imperfect manufacturing conditions or the action of severe thermo-oxidative environments in many practical applications. In this study, within the context of finite thermoelasticity, we theoretically analyze the inhomogeneous shearing deformation of a non-homogeneous rubber-like slab subjected to a thermal gradient across its thickness. The major objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the material non-homogeneity, which is the material-coordinate dependence of the material response functions, on the stress-strain fields for a given temperature gradient. First, we show the existence of a simple shearing deformation from which the generalized shear modulus and the generalized thermal conductivity of the slab could be obtained. Based on this information, the Gent material model is generalized to take the material non-homogeneity and the temperature dependence of the stress into account. To analyze the inhomogeneous shearing deformation of the non-homogeneous slab, deformation and temperature fields are postulated; then the decoupled temperature field is obtained analytically by solving the local energy balance equation. Finally, the static equilibrium equations are solved considering the linear temperature field. Our results show that the spatial pattern and the degree of the material non-homogeneity have profound effects on the stress-strain fields. The shear strain becomes nearly homogeneous and the stresses are relatively small for a certain spatial variation of the material non-homogeneity. This result suggests the possibility of designing a novel class of materials: functionally graded rubber-elastic materials (FGREMs).     

Failure theory via the concept of material configurational forces associated with the M-integral

A new failure theory based on the material configuration forces associated with the invariant M-integral is proposed to describe the content and evolution of the multi-defects localized in the body. The physical interpretation of the global M-integral is as the sum of the local energy release rate due to the self-similar expansion for each specific defect. It does provide an effective measure for the evaluation of damage level. It is found that the unique parameter of the M-integral cannot be used as a unified failure criterion to predict the damage evolution and the final failure due to the major obstacle that the critical value of the M-integral is not a problem-invariant constant and shows an apparent defect configuration-dependence. Consequently, a new failure parameter referred as the configurational damage parameter (abbreviated as Π-parameter) is proposed by the appropriate formulation via the M-integral, the remote uni-axial load, and the inner variable of the damaged area. A series of numerical examples are carried out to demonstrate that the critical value of Π-parameter is a material constant regardless of defect configurations. Furthermore, it is performed to validate the applicability of the Π-parameter as a failure criterion to predict the final failure of the locally damaged materials. Finally, a protocol of experimental measurement of the Π-parameter is proposed by method of digital image correlation to facilitate the wide application of the new failure criterion. It is concluded that the present failure theory via the configurational forces associated with the M-integral provides some outside variable features and has the advantage of predicting the structural integrity of damaged materials containing the locally distributed defects.     

On the fracture toughness of ferroelastic materials

The toughness enhancement due to domain switching near a steadily growing crack in a ferroelastic material is analyzed. The constitutive response of the material is taken to be characteristic of a polycrystalline sample assembled from randomly oriented tetragonal single crystal grains. The constitutive law accounts for the strain saturation, asymmetry in tension versus compression, Bauschinger effects, reverse switching, and strain reorientation that can occur in these materials due to the non-proportional loading that arises near a propagating crack. Crack growth is assumed to proceed at a critical level of the crack tip energy release rate. Detailed finite element calculations are carried out to determine the stress and strain fields near the growing tip, and the ratio of the far field applied energy release rate to the crack tip energy release rate. The results of the finite element calculations are then compared to analytical models that assume the linear isotropic K-field solution holds for either the near tip stress or strain field. Ultimately, the model is able to account for the experimentally observed toughness enhancement in ferroelastic ceramics.     

Multi-scale defect interactions in high-rate failure of brittle materials,Part II: Application to design of protection materials

Micromechanics based damage models, such as the model presented in Part I of this 2 part series (Tonge and Ramesh, 2015), have the potential to suggest promising directions for materials design. However, to reach their full potential these models must demonstrate that they capture the relevant physical processes. In this work, we apply the multiscale material model described in Tonge and Ramesh (2015) to ballistic impacts on the advanced ceramic boron carbide and suggest possible directions for improving the performance of boron carbide under impact conditions. We simulate both dynamic uniaxial compression and simplified ballistic loading geometries to demonstrate that the material model captures the relevant physics in these problems and to interrogate the sensitivity of the simulation results to some of the model input parameters. Under dynamic compression, we show that the simulated peak strength is sensitive to the maximum crack growth velocity and the flaw distribution, while the stress collapse portion of the test is partially influenced by the granular flow behavior of the fully damaged material. From simulations of simplified ballistic impact, we suggest that the total amount of granular flow (a possible performance metric) can be reduced by either a larger granular flow slope (more angular fragments) or a larger granular flow timescale (larger fragments). We then discuss the implications for materials design.     

Effects of large deformation and material nonlinearity on spherical indentation of hyperelastic soft materials

Up to now, the indentation of hyperelastic soft materials has not been completely understood. In this paper, the spherical indentation on hyperelastic soft solids was systematically investigated through theoretical analysis and finite element method (FEM). The validation and application of the Hertzian load-displacement relation for indentation of hyperelastic soft materials were clarified, the effects of large deformation and material nonlinearity on spherical indentation of hyperelastic soft materials were analyzed and discussed. It was found that the complicated indentation behaviors of hyperelastic soft solids mainly depended on the coupling interactions of large deformation and material nonlinearity. Besides, we proposed two new nonlinear elastic contact models to separate the effects of large deformation and material nonlinearity on spherical indentation responses of hyperelastic soft solids. Our efforts might help to enhance the understanding of hyperelastic indentation problems and provided necessary instructions for the mechanical characterization of hyperelastic soft materials.     

Multiscale modeling of fracture of MgO: Sensitivity of interatomic potentials

Three different interatomic potentials, namely, B-G I Model, B-G II Model and L-C Model, are used in multiscale modeling and simulation of a center-cracked specimen made of magnesia subjected to monotonically increasing loading. The specimen is decomposed into a far field, a near field and a crack-tip region. The analytical solution in the far field from linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is utilized. The solution of the near field is based on a multiscale field theory. In the crack-tip region, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is employed. These methodologies are integrated to simulate mixed mode fracture of magnesia (MgO). Three different interatomic potentials are examined and the interatomic potential and interatomic force between Mg-Mg, Mg-O and O-O are shown. The numerical results of crack propagation demonstrate that (1) crack closure is witnessed in B-G I Model but not in B-G II Model and L-C Model, (2) B-G II Model and L-C Model diverge in the early stage. The cause of instability and the remedy are also discussed.     

Crack trajectory instability: Propagation in inhomogeneous medium

The problem of crack trajectory stabilization in composite material is investigated. The equation for a crack path is found from the variational principle. It is considered as a path along which the extreme amount of energy is generated during the destruction. This statement corresponds to the variational problem analogous to the Lagrange–d’Alembert principle of classic mechanics and to the Fermat principle in optic and acoustic. For a crack path in inhomogeneous medium, nonlinear differential equation is obtained. Stability of the crack propagation in the inhomogeneous medium is considered. In particular, a 2D crack propagating in a composite material is considered. The path of propagation is assumed to cross layers or fibres. For layered and piece-wise continuous composites, the resulting governing equation corresponds to different kind of Duffing’s equation. The bifurcations of the trajectory and instability of crack path are investigated numerically. Conditions of crack trajectory stabilization are found. Properties of the materials that stabilized the crack trajectory are found.     

Discussion on electromagnetic crack face boundary conditions for the fracture mechanics of magneto-electro-elastic materials

This paper discusses electromagnetic boundary conditions on crack faces in magneto- electroelastic materials, where piezoelectric, piezomagnetic and magnetoelectric effects are coupled. A notch of finite thickness in these materials is also addressed. Four idealized electromagnetic boundary conditions assumed for the crack-faces are separately investigated, i.e. (a) electrically and magnetically impermeable (crack-face), (b) electrically impermeable and magnetically permeable, (c) electrically permeable and magnetically impermeable, and (d) electrically and magnetically permeable. The influence of the notch thickness on important parameters, such as the field intensity factors, the energy release rate at the notch tips and the electromagnetic fields inside the notch, are studied and the results are obtained in closed-form. Results under different idealized electromagnetic boundary conditions on the crack-face are compared, and the applicability of these idealized assumptions is discussed.The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10102004) The English text was polished by Yunming Chen.     

Effect of flows between formations and capillary forces on the process of oil displacement in a stratified inhomogeneous bed

The results of a numerical investigation of the process of oil displacement in a stratified inhomogeneous formation on the basis of the two-phase flow model with account for capillary forces are presented. It is shown that in many cases the vertical inhomogeneity of oil reservoirs may not be a cause of nonuniform displacement and the non-recovery of large oil reserves by the time of water breakthrough to the extraction surface. The action of the capillary forces is an additional factor leading to equalization of the water propagation front in the inhomogeneous formation, water breakthrough delay, and intensification of the mass transfer between the layers with different permeabilities. Analysis of the contribution of the interlayer flows to the water flooding of low-permeability formation intervals calls into question the practicability of blocking high-permeability inclusions in the neighborhood of pumping wells.     

Sharp-crack limit of a phase-field model for brittle fracture

A matched asymptotic analysis is used to establish the correspondence between an appropriately scaled version of the governing equations of a phase-field model for fracture and the equations of the two-dimensional sharp-crack theory of Gurtin and Podio-Guidugli (1996) that arise on assuming that the bulk constitutive behavior is nonlinearly elastic, requiring that surface energy provides the only factor limiting crack propagation, and assuming that the fracture kinetics are isotropic. Consistent with the prominence of the configurational momentum balance at the crack tip in the latter theory, the approach capitalizes on the configurational momentum balance that arises naturally in the context of the phase-field model. The model developed and utilized here incorporates irreversibility of the phase-field evolution. This is achieved by introducing a suitable constraint and by carefully heeding the influence of that constraint on the kinetics underlying microstructural changes associated with fracture. The analysis is predicated on the assumption that the phase-field variable takes values in the closed interval between zero and unity.     

Influence of heat transfer and fluid flow on crack growth in multilayered porous/dense materials using XFEM: Application to Solid Oxide Fuel Cell like material design

An advanced numerical model is developed to investigate the influence of heat transfer and fluid flow on crack propagation in multi-layered porous materials. The fluid flow, governed by the Navier–Stokes and Darcy’s law, is discretized with the nonconforming Crouzeix–Raviart (CR) finite element method. A combination of Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) and Multi-Point Flux Approximation (MPFA) methods is used to solve the advection–diffusion heat transfer equation in the flow channel and in the fluid phase within the porous material. The crack is assumed to affect only the heat diffusion within the porous layer, therefore a time splitting technique is used to solve the heat transfer in the fluid and the solid phases separately. Thus, within the porous material, the crack induces a discontinuity of the temperature at the crack surfaces and a singularity of the flux at the crack tip. Conduction in the solid phase is solved using the eXtended Finite Element Method (XFEM) to better handle the discontinuities and singularities caused by the cracks. The XFEM is also used to solve the thermo-mechanical problem and to track the crack propagation. The multi-physics model is implemented then validated for the transient regime, this necessitated a post processing treatment in which, the stress intensity factors (SIF) are computed for each time step. The SIFs are then used in the crack propagation criterion and the crack orientation angle. The methodology seems to be robust accurate and the computational cost is reduced thanks to the XFEM.