Mode I and mode II crack tip asymptotic fields with strain gradient effects

The strain gradient effect becomes significant when the size of fracture process zone around a crack tip is comparable to the intrinsic material lengthl, typically of the order of microns. Using the new strain gradient deformation theory given by Chen and Wang, the asymptotic fields near a crack tip in an elastic-plastic material with strain gradient effects are investigated. It is established that the dominant strain field is irrotational. For mode I plane stress crack tip asymptotic field, the stress asymptotic field and the couple stress asymptotic field can not exist simultaneously. In the stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of stresses are consistent with the classical plane stress HRR field; In the couple stress dominated asymptotic field, the angular distributions of couple stresses are consistent with that obtained by Huang et al. For mode II plane stress and plane strain crack tip asymptotic fields, only the stress-dominated asymptotic fields exist. The couple stress asymptotic field is less singular than the stress asymptotic fields. The stress asymptotic fields are the same as mode II plane stress and plane strain HRR fields, respectively. The increase in stresses is not observed in strain gradient plasticity for mode I and mode II, because the present theory is based only on the rotational gradient of deformation and the crack tip asymptotic fields are irrotational and dominated by the stretching gradient. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19704100), National Natural Science Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (KJ951-1-20), CAS K.C. Wong Post-doctoral Research Award Fund and Post-doctoral Science Fund of China     

Calculation for path-domain independentJ integral with elasto-viscoplastic consistent tangent operator concept-based boundary element methods

This paper presents an elasto-viscoplastic consistent tangent operator (CTO) based boundary element formulation, and application for calculation of path-domain independentJ integrals (extension of the classicalJ integrals) in nonlinear crack analysis. When viscoplastic deformation happens, the effective stresses around the crack tip in the nonlinear region is allowed to exceed the loading surface, and the pure plastic theory is not suitable for this situation. The concept of consistency employed in the solution of increment viscoplastic problem, plays a crucial role in preserving the quadratic rate asymptotic convergence of iteractive schemes based on Newton's method. Therefore, this paper investigates the viscoplastic crack problem, and presents an implicit viscoplastic algorithm using the CTO concept in a boundary element framework for path-domain independentJ integrals. Applications are presented with two numerical examples for viscoplastic crack problems andJ integrals. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (9713008) and Zhejiang Natural Science Foundation Special Funds No. RC.9601     

Higher order asymptotic solution of mode I crack growth in elastic-perfectly plastic media

A higher order asymptotic solution of near-tip field is studied for plane-atrain Mode-I quasi-static steady crack growth in the incompressible (v=1/2) elastic perfectly-plastic media. The results show that the near-tip stress and strain are fully continuous, and the strain possesses In (A/r) singularity at the crack tip. The expressions of the stress, strain and velocity in each region are also given. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Crack problems of piezoelectric materials

This paper presents an analysis of crack problems in homogeneous piezoelectrics or on the interfaces between two dissimilar piezoelectric materials based on the continuity of normal electric displacement and electric potential across the crack faces. The explicit analytic solutions are obtained for a single crack in piezoelectrics or on the interfaces of piezoelectric bimaterials. A class of boundary problems involving many cracks is also solved. For homogeneous materials it is found that the normal electric displacementD ₂ induced by the crack is constant along the crack faces which depends only on the applied remote stress field. Within the crack slit, the electric fields induced by the crack are also constant and not affected by the applied electric field. For the bimaterials with realH, the normal electric displacementD ₂ is constant along the crack faces and electric fieldE ₂ has the singularity ahead of the crack tip and a jump across the interface. The project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 19704100) and the Natural Science Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No. KJ951-1-201).     

ASYMPTOTIC ANALYSIS OF MODE Ⅱ STATIONARY GROWTHCRACK ON ELASTIC-ELASTIC POWER LAWCREEPING BIMATERIAL INTERFACE

A mechanical model was established for mode Ⅱ interfacial crack static growingalong an elastic-elastic power law creeping bimaterial interface. For two kinds of boundaryconditions on crack faces, traction free and frictional contact, asymptotic solutions of thestress and strain near tip-crack were given. Results derived indicate that the stress andstrain have the same singularity, there is not the oscillatory singularity in the field; thecreep power-hardening index n and the ratio of Young‘s module notably influence the crack-tip field in region of elastic power law creeping material and n only influences distribution ofstresses and strains in region of elastic material. When n is bigger, the creepingdeformation is dominant and stress fields become steady, which does not change with n.Poisson‘s ratio does not affect the distributing of the crack-tip field.     

Mode I crack tip field with strain gradient effects

A plane strain mode I crack tip field with strain gradient effects is investigated. A new strain gradient theory is used. An elastic-power law hardening strain gradient material is considered and two hardening laws, i. e. a separation law and an integration law are used respectively. As for the material with the separation law hardening, the angular distributions of stresses are consistent with the HRR field, which differs from the stress results^[19]; the angular distributions of couple stresses are the same as the couple stress results^[19]. For the material with the integration law hardening, the stress field and the couple stress field can not exist simultaneously, which is the same as the conclusion^[19], but for the stress dominated field, the angular distributions of stresses are consistent with the HRR field; for the couple stress dominated field, the angular distributions of couple stresses are consistent with those in Ref. [19]. However, the increase in stresses is not observed in strain gradient plasticity because the present theory is based on the rotation gradient of the deformation only, while the crack tip field of mode I is dominated by the tension gradient, which will be shown in another paper. Supported by the National Science Foundation of China (No. 19704100), Science Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Project KJ951-1-20), CAS K. C. Wong Post-doctoral Research Award Fund and the Post Doctoral Science Fund of China.     

The scattering of harmonic elastic anti-plane shear waves by a finite crack in infinitely long strip using the non-local theory

In this paper, the scattering of harmonic anti-plane shear waves by a finite crack in infinitely long strip is studied using the non-local theory. The Fourier transform is applied and a mixed boundary value problem is formulated. Then a set of dual integral equations is solved using the Schmidt method instead of the first or the second integral equation method. A one-dimensional non-local kernel is used instead of a two-dimensional one for the anti-plane dynamic problem to obtain the stress occurring at the crack tips. Contraty to the classical elasticity solution, it is found that no stress singularity is present at the crack tip. The non-local dynamic elastic solutions yield a finite hoop stress at the crack tip, thus allowing for a fracture criterion based on the maximum dynamic stress hypothesis. The finite hoop stress at the crack tip depends on the crack length, the width of the strip and the lattice parameter. Supported by the Post Doctoral Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province and the National Foundation for Excellent Young Investigators.     

Finite element solutions for plane strain mode I crack with strain gradient effects

In this paper, a new phenomenological theory with strain gradient effects is proposed to account for the size dependence of plastic deformation at micro- and submicro-length scales. The theory fits within the framework of general couple stress theory and three rotational degrees of freedom ω_i are introduced in addition to the conventional three translational degrees of freedom u_i. ω_i is called micro-rotation and is the sum of material rotation plus the particles' relative rotation. While the new theory is used to analyze the crack tip field or the indentation problems, the stretch gradient is considered through a new hardening law. The key features of the theory are that the rotation gradient influences the material character through the interaction between the Cauchy stresses and the couple stresses; the term of stretch gradient is represented as an internal variable to increase the tangent modulus. In fact the present new strain gradient theory is the combination of the strain gradient theory proposed by Chen and Wang (Int. J. Plast., in press) and the hardening law given by Chen and Wang (Acta Mater. 48 (2000a) 3997). In this paper we focus on the finite element method to investigate material fracture for an elastic-power law hardening solid. With remotely imposed classical K fields, the full field solutions are obtained numerically. It is found that the size of the strain gradient dominance zone is characterized by the intrinsic material length l₁. Outside the strain gradient dominance zone, the computed stress field tends to be a classical plasticity field and then K field. The singularity of stresses ahead of the crack tip is higher than that of the classical field and tends to the square root singularity, which has important consequences for crack growth in materials by decohesion at the atomic scale.     

Interface crack problems for mode II of double dissimilar orthotropic composite materials

The fracture problems near the similar orthotropic composite materials are interface crack tip for mode Ⅱ of double disstudied. The mechanical models of interface crack for mode Ⅱ are given. By translating the governing equations into the generalized hi-harmonic equations, the stress functions containing two stress singularity exponents are derived with the help of a complex function method. Based on the boundary conditions, a system of non-homogeneous linear equations is found. Two real stress singularity exponents are determined be solving this system under appropriate conditions about bimaterial engineering parameters. According to the uniqueness theorem of limit, both the formulae of stress intensity factors and theoretical solutions of stress field near the interface crack tip are derived. When the two orthotropic materials are the same, the stress singularity exponents, stress intensity factors and stresses for mode II crack of the orthotropic single material are obtained.     

The scattering of harmonic elastic anti-plane shear waves by two collinear cracks in the piezoelectric plate by using the non-local theory

In this paper, the dynamic interaction between two collinear cracks in a piezoelectric material plate under anti-plane shear waves is investigated by using the non-local theory for impermeable crack surface conditions. By using the Fourier transform, the problem can be solved with the help of two pairs of triple integral equations. These equations are solved using the Schmidt method. This method is more reasonable and more appropriate. Unlike the classical elasticity solution, it is found that no stress and electric displacement singularity is present at the crack tip. The non-local dynamic elastic solutions yield a finite hoop stress at the crack tip, thus allowing for a fracture criterion based on the maximum dynamic stress hypothesis. The project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(10172030, 50232030)     

A multiscale model for the ductile fracture of crystalline materials

In this paper, a multiscale model that combines both macroscopic and microscopic analyses is presented for describing the ductile fracture process of crystalline materials. In the macroscopic fracture analysis, the recently developed strain gradient plasticity theory is used to describe the fracture toughness, the shielding effects of plastic deformation on the crack growth, and the crack tip field through the use of an elastic core model. The crack tip field resulting from the macroscopic analysis using the strain gradient plasticity theory displayes the 1/2 singularity of stress within the strain gradient dominated region. In the microscopic fracture analysis, the discrete dislocation theory is used to describe the shielding effects of discrete dislocations on the crack growth. The result of the macroscopic analysis near the crack tip, i.e. a new K-field, is taken as the boundary condition for the microscopic fracture analysis. The equilibrium locations of the discrete dislocations around the crack and the shielding effects of the discrete dislocations on the crack growth at the microscale are calculated. The macroscopic fracture analysis and the microscopic fracture analysis are connected based on the elastic core model. Through a comparison of the shielding effects from plastic deformation and the discrete dislocations, the elastic core size is determined.     

DYNAMIC STRESS FIELD AROUND THE MODE Ⅲ CRACK TIP IN AN ORTHOTROPIC FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIAL

The problem of a Griffith crack in an unbounded orthotropic functionally graded material subjected to antipole shear impact was studied. The shear moduli in two directions of the functionally graded material were assumed to vary proportionately as definite gradient. By using integral transforms and dual integral equations, the local dynamic stress field was obtained. The results of dynamic stress intensity factor show that increasing shear moduli’s gradient of FGM or increasing the shear modulus in direction perpendicular to crack surface can restrain the magnitude of dynamic stress intensity factor.     

Singular behavior at the tip of a crack in an elastic-plastic material with plastic orthotropy

The two-dimensional stress field at the tip of a crack in a plastically orthotropic material is analyzed by the total deformation theory of plasticity in conjunction with the J-integral. A model of a plastically orthotropic material is constructed by the use of the theory proposed by R. Hill (1950) and the uniaxial stress-strain relation suggested by W. Ramberg and W.R. Osgood (1943). It is found that the stresses in the vicinity of the crack tip have a singularity of the same order as that in the case of isotropic materials, but their amplitudes are greatly influenced by the plastic orthotropy. Numerical work is carried out for two typical metals, and the effect of the plastic orthotropy is examined for the stress field, the crack opening displacement, the strain energy density, and the shape of the elastic-plastic boundary.     

Plane-strain crack problems in microstructured solids governed by dipolar gradient elasticity

The present study aims at determining the elastic stress and displacement fields around the tips of a finite-length crack in a microstructured solid under remotely applied plane-strain loading (mode I and II cases). The material microstructure is modeled through the Toupin-Mindlin generalized continuum theory of dipolar gradient elasticity. According to this theory, the strain-energy density assumes the form of a positive-definite function of the strain tensor (as in classical elasticity) and the gradient of the strain tensor (additional term). A simple but yet rigorous version of the theory is employed here by considering an isotropic linear expression of the elastic strain-energy density that involves only three material constants (the two Lamé constants and the so-called gradient coefficient). First, a near-tip asymptotic solution is obtained by the Knein-Williams technique. Then, we attack the complete boundary value problem in an effort to obtain a full-field solution. Hypersingular integral equations with a cubic singularity are formulated with the aid of the Fourier transform. These equations are solved by analytical considerations on Hadamard finite-part integrals and a numerical treatment. The results show significant departure from the predictions of standard fracture mechanics. In view of these results, it seems that the classical theory of elasticity is inadequate to analyze crack problems in microstructured materials. Indeed, the present results indicate that the stress distribution ahead of the crack tip exhibits a local maximum that is bounded. Therefore, this maximum value may serve as a measure of the critical stress level at which further advancement of the crack may occur. Also, in the vicinity of the crack tip, the crack-face displacement closes more smoothly as compared to the standard result and the strain field is bounded. Finally, the J-integral (energy release rate) in gradient elasticity was evaluated. A decrease of its value is noticed in comparison with the classical theory. This shows that the gradient theory predicts a strengthening effect since a reduction of crack driving force takes place as the material microstructure becomes more pronounced.     

High-order asymptotic analysis for the crack in nonlinear material

Accurate high-order asymptotic analyses were carried out for Mode II plane strain crack in power hardening materials. The second-order crack tip fields have been obtained. It is found that the amplitude coefficientk ₂ of the second term of the asymptotic field is correlated to the first order field as the hardening exponentn<n ^* (n ^*≈5), but asn≥n ^*,k ₂ turns to become an independent parameter. Our results also indicated that, the second term of the asymptotic field has little influence on the near-crack-tip field and can be neglected whenn<n ^*. In fact,k ₂ directly reflects the effects of triaxiality near the crack tip, the crack geometry and the loading mode, so that besidesJ-integral it can be used as another characteristic parameter in the two-parameter criterion. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Two dimensional stress intensity factor computations by multi-domain boundary element method for crack closure with friction

A multi-domain boundary element method is used to compute the stress intensity factor of plane stress/plane strain crack problems with friction. The analysis is performed by using traction-singular quarter-point boundary elements on each side of the crack tips. The increment iteration is given. The technique is applied to some specific examples in order to show that the results will be with good accuracy.The Project 13 supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

Penny-shaped crack in transversely isotropic piezoelectric materials

Using a method of potential functions introduced successively to integrate the field equations of three-dimensional problems for transversely isotropic piezoelectric materials, we obtain the so-called general solution in which the displacement components and electric potential functions are represented by a singular function satisfying some special partial differential equations of 6th order. In order to analyse the mechanical-electric coupling behaviour of penny-shaped crack for above materials, another form of the general solution is obtained under cylindrical coordinate system by introducing three quasi-harmonic functions into the general equations obtained above. It is shown that both the two forms of the general solutions are complete. Furthermore, the mechanical-electric coupling behaviour of penny-shaped crack in transversely isotropic piezoelectric media is analysed under axisymmetric tensile loading case, and the crack-tip stress field and electric displacement field are obtained. The results show that the stress and the electric displacement components near the crack tip have (r ^−1/2) singularity. The project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province, China     

Further investigation of interaction between interface macrocrack and parallel microcracks in bimaterial anisotropic solids

In this paper, with the aid of superimposing technique and the Pseudo Traction Method (PTM), the interaction problem between an interface macrocrack and parallel microcracks in the process zone in bimaterial anisotropic solids is reduced to a system of integral equations. After the integral equations are solved numerically, a conservation law among three kinds ofJ-integrals is obtained which are induced from the interface macrocrack tip, the microcrack and the remote field, respectively. This conservation law reveals that the microcrack shielding effect in such materials could be considered as the redistribution of the remoteJ-integral. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Doctorate Foundation of Xi'an Jiaotong University     

Three-dimensional analysis of defects in a piezoelectric material

In this paper, the Green's function technique is used to develop a solution of an infinite, piezoelectric medium containing either an ellipsoidal cavity or a flat elliptical crack. The coupled elastic and electric fields both inside the cavity and on the boundary of the cavity are obtained, and the stress intensity factor and the electric field intensity factor are also obtained for an elliptical crack. It is found that; (1) the coupled elastic and electric fields inside the cavity keep uniform when the external elastic field and electric field are constant; (2) the behavior of the stress and electric field components in the neighborhood of the crack tip shows the classical type of singularity. The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

On anti-plane shear behavior of a Griffith permeable crack in piezoelectric materials by use of the non-local theory

In this paper, the non-local theory of elasticity is applied to obtain the behavior of a Griffith crack in the piezoelectric materials under anti-plane shear loading for permeable crack surface conditions. By means of the Fourier transform the problem can be solved with the help of a pair of dual integral equations with the unknown variable being the jump of the displacement across the crack surfaces. These equations are solved by the Schmidt method. Numerical examples are provided. Unlike the classical elasticity solutions, it is found that no stress and electric displacement singularity is present at the crack tip. The non-local elastic solutions yield a finite hoop stress at the crack tip, thus allowing for a fracture criterion based on the maximum stress hypothesis. The finite hoop stress at the crack tip depends on the crack length and the lattice parameter of the materials, respectively. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (50232030 and 10172030)