A frictional receding contact plane problem between a functionally graded layer and a homogeneous substrate

This paper investigates the plane problem of a frictional receding contact formed between an elastic functionally graded layer and a homogeneous half space, when they are pressed against each other. The graded layer is assumed to be an isotropic nonhomogeneous medium with an exponentially varying shear modulus and a constant Poisson’s ratio. A segment of the top surface of the graded layer is subject to both normal and tangential traction while rest of the surface is devoid of traction. The entire contact zone thus formed between the layer and the homogeneous medium can transmit both normal and tangential traction. It is assumed that the contact region is under sliding contact conditions with the Coulomb’s law used to relate the tangential traction to the normal component. Employing Fourier integral transforms and applying the necessary boundary conditions, the plane elasticity equations are reduced to a singular integral equation in which the unknowns are the contact pressure and the receding contact lengths. Ensuring mechanical equilibrium is an indispensable requirement warranted by the physics of the problem and therefore the global force and moment equilibrium conditions for the layer are supplemented to solve the problem. The Gauss–Chebyshev quadrature-collocation method is adopted to convert the singular integral equation to a set of overdetermined algebraic equations. This system is solved using a least squares method coupled with a novel iterative procedure to ensure that the force and moment equilibrium conditions are satisfied simultaneously. The main objective of this paper is to study the effect of friction coefficient and nonhomogeneity factor on the contact pressure distribution and the size of the contact region.     

Interfacial fracture analysis of bonded dissimilar strips with a functionally graded interlayer under antiplane deformation

This paper provides the solution to the problem of dissimilar, homogeneous semi-infinite strips bonded through a functionally graded interlayer and weakened by an embedded or edge interfacial crack. The bonded system is assumed to be under antiplane deformation, subjected to either traction-free or clamped boundary conditions along its bounding planes. Based on the Fourier integral transform, the problem is formulated in terms of a singular integral equation which has a simple Cauchy kernel for the embedded crack and a generalized Cauchy kernel for the edge crack. In the numerical results, the effects of geometric and material parameters of the bonded system on the crack-tip stress intensity factors are presented in order to quantify the interfacial fracture behavior in the presence of the graded interlayer.     

The dynamic response of an edge crack in a functionally graded orthotropic strip

The dynamic response of a functionally graded orthotropic strip with an edge crack perpendicular to the boundaries is studied. The material properties are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness direction. Laplace and Fourier transforms are applied to reduce the problem to a singular integral equation. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the influences of parameters such as the nonhomogeneity constant and geometry parameters on the dynamic stress intensity factors (SIFs).     

Anti-plane stress intensity, energy release and energy density at crack tips in a functionally graded strip with linearly varying properties

The fracture problem of a crack in a functionally graded strip with its properties varying in a linear form along the strip thickness under an anti-plane load is considered. The embedded anti-plane crack is located in the middle of strip half way through the thickness. The third mode stress intensity factor is derived using two different methods. In the first method, by employing Fourier integral transforms, the governing equation is converted to a singular integral equation, which is subsequently solved numerically by the collocation method based on Chebyshev polynomials. Then, the problem is solved by means of finite element method in which quadrilateral 8-node singular elements around each crack tip are used. After inspecting the validity of the solution technique, effects of crack geometry and non-homogeneous material parameter on the stress intensity, energy release and energy density are studied and the results of analytical and FEM solutions are compared.     

Anti-plane shear of an arbitrary oriented crack in a functionally graded strip bonded with two dissimilar half-planes

An internal crack located within a functionally graded material (FGM) strip bonded with two dissimilar half-planes and under an anti-plane load is considered. The crack is oriented in an arbitrary direction. The material properties of strip are assumed to vary exponentially in the thickness direction and two half-planes are assumed to be isotropic. Governing differential equations are derived and to reduce the difficulty of the problem dealing with solution of a system of singular integral equations Fourier integral transform is employed. Semi closed form solution for the stress distribution in the medium is obtained and mode III stress intensity factor (SIF), at the crack tip is calculated and its validity was verified. Finally, the effects of nonhomogeneous material parameter and crack orientation on the stress intensity factor are studied.     

Anti-plane problem of periodic cracks in a functionally graded coating–substrate structure

The static and dynamic anti-plane problem for a functionally graded coating–substrate structure containing a periodic array of parallel cracks, which are perpendicular to the boundary, is considered. Integral-transform techniques are employed to reduce the problem to the solution of an integral equation with hypersingular kernels. Numerical results are presented to show the influence of geometry, material properties and material gradient parameter on the fracture behavior.     

An anti-plane propagating crack in a functionally graded piezoelectric strip bonded to a homogeneous piezoelectric strip

Summary A finite crack propagating at constant speed in a functionally graded piezoelectric strip (FGPS) bonded to a homogeneous piezoelectric strip is considered. It is assumed that the electroelastic material properties of the FGPS vary exponentially across the thickness of the strip, and that the bimaterial strip is under combined anti-plane mechanical shear and in-plane electrical loads. The analysis is conducted for the electrically unified crack boundary condition, which includes both the traditional permeable and the impermeable ones. By using the Fourier transform, the problem is reduced to the solution of Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. Numerical results for the stress intensity factor and the crack sliding displacement are presented to show the influences of the crack propagation speed, electric loads, FGPS gradation, crack length, electromechanical coupling coefficient, properties of the bonded homogeneous piezoelectric strip and crack location.     

Buckling of an orthotropic graded coating with an embedded crack bonded to a homogeneous substrate

To simulate buckling of nonuniform coatings, we consider the problem of an embedded crack in a graded orthotropic coating bonded to a homogeneous substrate subjected to a compressive loading. The coating is graded in the thickness direction and the material gradient is orthogonal to the crack direction which is parallel with the free surface. The elastic properties of the material are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness direction. The principal directions of orthotropy are parallel and perpendicular to the crack orientation. The loading consists of a uniform compressive strain applied away from the crack region. The graded coating is modeled as a nonhomogeneous medium with an orthotropic stress–strain law. Using a nonlinear continuum theory and a suitable perturbation technique, the plane strain problem is reduced to an eigenvalue problem describing the onset of buckling. Using integral transforms, the resulting plane elasticity equations are converted analytically into singular integral equations which are solved numerically to yield the critical buckling strain. The Finite Element Method was additionally used to model the crack problem. The main objective of the paper is to study the influence of material nonhomogeneity on the buckling resistance of the graded layer for various crack positions, coating thicknesses and different orthotropic FGMs.     

The axisymmetric torsional contact problem of a functionally graded piezoelectric coated half-space

In this article, we study the axisymmetric tor-sional contact problem of a half-space coated with func-tionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) and subjected to a rigid circular punch. It is found that, along the thick-ness direction, the electromechanical properties of FGPMs change exponentially. We apply the Hankel integral trans-form technique and reduce the problem to a singular integral equation, and then numerically determine the unknown con-tact stress and electric displacement at the contact surface. The results show that the surface contact stress, surface azimuthal displacement, surface electric displacement, and inner electromechanical field are obviously dependent on the gradient index of the FGPM coating. It is found that we can adjust the gradient index of the FGPM coating to modify the distributions of the electric displacement and contact stress.     

Axisymmetric frictionless contact of functionally graded materials

The main interest of this study is a new method to solve the axisymmetric frictionless contact problem of functionally graded materials (FGMs). Based on the fact that an arbitrary curve can be approached by a series of continuous but piecewise linear curves, the FGM is divided into a series of sub-layers with shear modulus varying linearly in each sub-layer and continuous at the sub-interfaces. With this model, the axisymmetric frictionless contact problem of a functionally graded coated half-space is investigated. By using the transfer matrix method and Hankel integral transform technique, the problem is reduced to a Cauchy singular integral equation. The contact pressure, contact region and indentation are calculated for various indenters by solving the equations numerically. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Dynamic stress intensity factors of multiple cracks in a functionally graded orthotropic half-plane

In the present paper dynamic stress intensity factor and strain energy density factor of multiple cracks in the functionally graded orthotropic half-plane under time-harmonic loading are investigated. By utilizing the Fourier transformation technique the stress fields are obtained for a functionally graded orthotropic half-plane containing a Volterra screw dislocation. The variations of the material properties are assumed to be exponential forms which the equilibrium has an analytical solution. The dislocation solution is utilized to formulate integral equation for the half-plane weakened by multiple smooth cracks under anti-plane deformation. The integral equations are of Cauchy singular type at the location of dislocation which are solved numerically to obtain the dislocation density on the faces of the cracks. The dislocation densities are employed to determined stress intensity factor and strain energy density factors (SEDFs) for multiple smooth cracks under anti-plane deformation. Numerical examples are provided to show the effects of material properties and the crack configuration on the dynamic stress intensity factors and SEDFs of the functionally graded orthotropic half-plane with multiple curved cracks.     

Dynamic response of a crack in a functionally graded interface of two dissimilar piezoelectric half-planes

Summary  In this paper, the dynamic anti-plane crack problem of two dissimilar homogeneous piezoelectric materials bonded through a functionally graded interfacial region is considered. Integral transforms are employed to reduce the problem to Cauchy singular integral equations. Numerical results illustrate the effect of the loading combination parameter λ, material property distribution and crack configuration on the dynamic stress and electric displacement intensity factors. It is found that the presence of the dynamic electric field could impede of enhance the crack propagation depending on the time elapsed and the direction of applied electric impact. Received 4 December 2001; accepted for publication 9 July 2002 This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through Grant No. 10132010.     

A penny-shaped interface crack between a functionally graded piezoelectric layer and a homogeneous piezoelectric layer

The problem of a penny-shaped interface crack between a functionally graded piezoelectric layer and a homogeneous piezoelectric layer is investigated. The surfaces of the composite structure are subjected to both mechanical and electrical loads. The crack surfaces are assumed to be electrically impermeable. Integral transform method is employed to reduce the problem to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. The stress intensity factor, electric displacement intensity factor and energy release rate are derived, some typical numerical results are plotted graphically. The effects of electrical loads, material nonhomogeneity and crack configuration on the fracture behaviors of the cracked composite structure are analyzed in detail.     

Effects of the weak/micro-discontinuity of interface on the fracture behavior of a functionally graded coating with an inclined crack

The mechanical model was established for the anti-plane fracture problem of a functionally graded coating–substrate system with a coating crack inclined to the weak/micro-discontinuous interface. The Cauchy singular integral equation for the crack was derived using Fourier integral transform, and the Lobatto–Chebyshev collocation method put up by Erdogan and Gupta was used to get its numerical solution. Finally, the effects of the weak/micro-discontinuity of the interface on SIFs were analyzed, the “affected regions” corresponding to the two crack tips have been obtained and their engineering significance was discussed. It was indicated that, for the crack tip in the corresponding “affected region”, to reduce the weak-discontinuity of the interface and to make the interface micro-discontinuous are the two effective ways to reduce the SIF, and the latter way always has more remarkable SIF-reduction effect. For the crack tip outside the “affected region”, its SIF is mainly influenced by material stiffness, and to prevent such a tip from growing toward the interface “softer coating and stiffer substrate” is a more advantageous combination than “stiffer coating and softer substrate”.     

Elliptical crack normal to functionally graded interface of bonded solids

This paper presents an analysis of an elliptical crack that is perpendicular to a functionally graded interfacial zone between two fully bonded solids. The functionally graded interfacial zone is treated as a non-homogeneous solid layer with its elastic modulus varying in the thickness direction. A generalized Kelvin solution based boundary element method is employed for the calculation of the stress intensity factors associated with the three-dimensional crack problem. The elliptical crack surface is subject to either uniform normal traction or uniform shear traction. The stress intensity factors are examined by taking into account the effects of the non-homogeneity parameter and thickness of the functionally graded interfacial zone, as well as the crack distance to the zone. The SIF values are further incorporated into the S-criterion for prediction of crack growth. The paper presents the most possible direction and location of the elliptical crack growth under an inclined tensile (or compressive) load. The paper further presents results of the critical external loads that would cause the elliptical crack to grow at the most possible location and along the most possible direction. The paper also examines the effects of external load direction and material and geometrical parameters on the critical loads.     

Thermal fracture of a functionally graded/homogeneous bimaterial with system of cracks

The thermal fracture of a bimaterial consisting of a homogeneous material and a functionally graded material (FGM) with a system of internal cracks and an interface crack is investigated. The bimaterial is subjected to a heat flux. The thermal properties of FGM are assumed to be continues functions of the thickness coordinate, while the elastic properties are constants. The method of the solution is based on the singular integral equations. For a special case where the interface crack is much larger than the internal cracks in the FGM the asymptotic analytical solution of the problem is obtained as series in a small parameter (the ratio between sizes of the internal and interface crack) and the thermal stress intensity factors (TSIFs) are derived as functions of geometry of the problem and material characteristics. A parametric analysis of the effects of the location and orientation of the cracks and of the inhomogeneity parameter of FGM’s thermal conductivity on the TSIFs is performed. The results are applicable to such kinds FGMs as ceramic/ceramic FGMs, e.g., TiC/SiC, MoSi₂/Al₂O₃ and MoSi₂/SiC, and also some ceramic/metal FGMs.     

Near-tip out of plane displacement fields for dynamic crack propagation in functionally graded materials

Asymptotic expansion for the out of plane displacement field around a crack propagating along the gradient in a functionally graded material is developed. The irregular behavior of one of the terms in the expansion at low crack speeds is further examined and a remedial solution, which is well behaved at low crack speeds, is proposed. The developed out of plane displacement field is used to estimate stress intensity factor from quasi-static finite element solution. The results indicate that inclusion of the proposed nonhomogeneity specific terms gives estimates of stress intensity factor, which are consistent with existing analytical predictions.     

A moving mode-III crack in functionally graded piezoelectric material: permeable problem

In this paper a moving mode-III crack in functionally graded piezoelectric materials (FGPM) is studied. The crack surfaces are assumed to be permeable. The governing equations for FGPM are solved by means of Fourier cosine transform. The mathematical formulation for the permeable crack condition is derived as a set of dual integral equations, which, in turn, are reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. The results obtained indicate that the stress intensity factor of moving crack in FGPM depends only on the mechanical loading. The gradient parameter of the FGPM and the moving velocity of the crack do have significant influence on the dynamic stress intensity factor.     

Reissner-Sagoci problem for a homogeneous coating on a functionally graded half-space

This paper is concerned with the axisymmetric elastostatic problem related to the rotation of a rigid punch which is bonded to the surface of a nonhomogeneous half-space. The half-space is composed of an isotropic homogeneous coating in the form of layer, which is attached to the functionally graded half-space. The shear modulus of the FGM is assumed to vary in the direction of axis Oz normal to the boundary as μ₁(z) = μ₀(1 + αz)^β, where μ₀, α, β are positive constants. The punch undergoes rotation due to the action of the internal loads. By using Hankel's integral transforms, the mixed boundary value problem is reduced to dual integral equations, and next, to a Fredholm's integral equation of the second kind, which is solved numerically for the case of β = 2. The final results show the effect of non-homogeneity on the shear stresses and an unknown moment of punch rotation.     

Impact failure prediction of Mode III crack in orthotropic functionally graded strip

Mode III impact of a crack in an orthotropic functionally graded strip is investigated. The shear moduli in two directions of the material are assumed to vary proportionately with gradient. Laplace transform and Fourier cosine transform are used to reduce the problem to solving a Fredholm integral equation. The crack tip stress field is obtained by considering the asymptotic behavior of Bessel function. Energy density factor criterion is applied to obtain the maximum of minimum energy density and direction of crack initiation. Numerical results are given graphically. The effects of orthotropy, nonhomogeneity and height of the strip on the energy density factor are discussed.