Mixed mode (I and II) crack tip fields in bulk metallic glasses

Stationary crack tip fields in bulk metallic glasses under mixed mode (I and II) loading are studied through detailed finite element simulations assuming plane strain, small scale yielding conditions. The influence of internal friction or pressure sensitivity on the plastic zones, notch deformation, stress and plastic strain fields is examined for different mode mixities. Under mixed mode loading, the notch deforms into a shape such that one part of its surface sharpens while the other part blunts. Increase in mode II component of loading dramatically enhances the normalized plastic zone size, lowers the stresses but significantly elevates the plastic strain levels near the notch tip. Higher internal friction reduces the peak tangential stress but increases the plastic strain and stretching near the blunted part of the notch. The simulated shear bands are straight and extend over a long distance ahead of the notch tip under mode II dominant loading. The possible variations of fracture toughness with mode mixity corresponding to failure by brittle micro-cracking and ductile shear banding are predicted employing two simple fracture criteria. The salient results from finite element simulations are validated by comparison with those from mixed mode (I and II) fracture experiments on a Zr-based bulk metallic glass.     

Origin of anomalous inverse notch effect in bulk metallic glasses

Understanding notch-related failure is crucial for the design of reliable engineering structures. However, substantial controversies exist in the literature on the notch effect in bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), and the underlying physical mechanism responsible for the apparent confusion is still poorly understood. Here we investigate the physical origin of an inverse notch effect in a Zr-based metallic glass, where the tensile strength of the material is dramatically enhanced, rather than decreased (as expected from the stress concentration point of view), by introduction of a notch. Our experiments and molecular dynamics simulations show that the seemingly anomalous inverse notch effect is in fact caused by a transition in failure mechanism from shear banding at the notch tip to cavitation and void coalescence. Based on our theoretical analysis, the transition occurs as the stress triaxiality in the notched sample exceeds a material-dependent threshold value. Our results fill the gap in the current understanding of BMG strength and failure mechanism by resolving the conflicts on notch effects and may inspire re-interpretation of previous reports on BMG fracture toughness where pre-existing notches were routinely adopted.     

Evolution of shear bands in bulk metallic glasses under dynamic loading

Shear band spacing in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) under dynamic loads is found to vary with position and local strain rate in the indented region. To investigate the dependence of shear band evolution characteristics on local strain rate and normal stress, a micromechanical model based on momentum diffusion is proposed. The thermo-mechanical model takes into account the normal stress dependence of yield stress, the free volume theory and the associated viscosity change within the shear band region. Temperature rise is obtained from the balance between the heat diffusion to the adjacent regions from a shear band and the heat generation due to the accumulated plastic work in a shear band. The parametric study has revealed that thermal effects play a minor role when the critical shear displacement is below 10 nm (as in nanoindentation) but become significant when the shear displacement accumulated in a shear band is of the order of hundreds of nanometers (as in uniaxial compression and in dynamic indentations). Finally, it is found that the normal stress plays a crucial role in the deformation behavior of BMGs by not only decreasing the time for shear band formation but also increasing the temperature rise significantly.     

The multi-axial deformation behavior of bulk metallic glasses at high homologous temperatures

In this work, we study the behavior of a recently-developed Lanthanum-based bulk metallic glass under uniaxial and multi-axial stress-states using the constitutive model developed by Thamburaja and Ekambaram (2007). The material parameters in the constitutive model are fitted to match the stress–strain responses obtained from a set of simple compression experiments conducted at temperatures within the supercooled liquid region under a variety of strain rates spanning approximately three decades. With the material parameters calibrated, we show that the aforementioned constitutive model is able to accurately predict the force vs. displacement responses of representative experiments conducted under multi-axial stress-states at temperatures within the supercooled liquid region, namely three-point bending and the superplastic forming of a miniature gear component. In particular, the evolution of the specimen geometry during the deformation under multi-axial loading conditions are also well-predicted by the constitutive model.     

Simulation of crack propagation in rock in plasma blasting technology

Plasma Blasting Technology (PBT) involves the production of a pulsed electrical discharge by inserting a blasting probe in a water-filled cavity drilled in a rock, which produces shocks or pressure waves in the water. These pulses then propagate into the rock, leading to fracture. In this paper, we present the results of two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the SHALE code to study crack propagation in rock. Three separate issues have been examined. Firstly, assuming that a constant pressure P is maintained in the cavity for a time , we have determined the P- curve that just cracks a given rock into at least two large-sized parts. This study shows that there exists an optimal pressure level for cracking a given rock-type and geometry. Secondly, we have varied the volume of water in which the initial energy E is deposited, which corresponds to different initial peak pressures . We have determined the E- curve that just breaks the rock into four large-sized parts. It is found that there must be an optimal that lowers the energy consumption, but with acceptable probe damage. Thirdly, we have attempted to identify the dominant mechanism of rock fracture. We also highlight some numerical errors that must be kept in mind in such simulations. Received 4 September 2001 / Accepted 12 March 2002 Published online 11 June 2002     

Penny-shaped crack in a fiber-reinforced matrix

Using the slender inclusion model developed earlier the elastostatic interaction problem between a penny-shaped crack and elastic fibers in an elastic matrix is formulated. For a single set and for multiple sets of fibers oriented perpendicularly to the plane of the crack and distributed symmetrically on concentric circles the problem is reduced to a system of singular integral equations. Techniques for the regularization and for the numerical solution of the system are outlined. For various fiber geometries numerical examples are given and distribution of the stress intensity factor along the crack border is obtained. Sample results showing the distribution of the fiber stress and a measure of the fiber-matrix interface shear are also included.     

Nano-ductile crack propagation in glasses under stress corrosion: spatiotemporal evolution of damage in the vicinity of the crack tip

Recent experiments have evidenced the existence of a ductile fracture mode at the nanometer scale in Aluminosilicate glass. The present study is designed to check whether such a ductile mode is inherent to the amorphous nature of glass. Therefore, the slow crack advance is observed in real time via an Atomic Force Microscope in a minimal glass, amorphous Silica, under stress corrosion. In this case, the Crack propagation proceeds by the nucleation, growth and coalescence of damage cavities as in the Aluminosilicate glass, but the cavity size is significantly larger. We focus here on the kinematics of crack propagation by looking at the spatio-temporal evolution of both the tip of the main crack and the cavity ahead. It is shown that the velocity of the main crack tip is significantly lower than the one of the cavity edge toward the main crack tip, like in metallic alloys. Moreover, the velocities of the different fronts (main crack, frontward and backward cavity tips) at these nanometric scales is one order of magnitude smaller than the crack tip velocity at the continuum scale. This has important consequences for the modelling of stress corrosion, especially at ultra-slow crack propagation.     

Inhomogeneous deformation in metallic glasses

The present study provides a theoretical framework for the inhomogeneous deformation in metallic glasses. The free volume concentration is adopted as the order parameter, which is a function of position and time. The three processes that can change the local free volume concentration are diffusion, annihilation, and stress-driven creation. The rate functions for free volume generation and plastic flow depend on the underlying microscopic model, but the framework is generally valid for different models. A simple shear problem is solved as an example. A linear stability analysis is performed on the basis of the homogeneous solution. An inhomogeneous solution is obtained with a finite amplitude disturbance to the initial free volume distribution. Numerical simulation shows the development of the inhomogeneous deformation and strain localization.     

Shear stability of metallic glasses

The effect of sample size on the shear deformation and compressive plasticity of different metallic glasses were investigated. The experimental results showed that the deformation and fracture behaviors of samples prepared from chemically identical Zr-, Ti-, Fe-, or Mg-based metallic glass ingots were strongly dependent on the sample size and machine stiffness, and a super-high compressive plasticity was achieved in the Zr-based metallic glasses with sample size of 1.0 mm in width. It is also found that the sample size can significantly influence the density of elastic energy dissipated in the shear band: with sample size decreasing and machine stiffness increasing, the density of the elastic energy dissipated in the shear band of metallic glasses is prominently decreased, thus the shear deformation turns to be more stable, resulting in the improvement of plasticity in ductile metallic glasses and the transition from fragmentation fracture to shear fracture in brittle metallic glasses. This finding is important for the potential applications of the present metallic glasses and for designing new metallic glasses with better mechanical properties.     

A reexamination of plasticity-induced crack closure in fatigue crack propagation

The crack closure concept is often used to consider the R-ratio and overload effects on fatigue crack growth. The presumption is that when the crack is closed, the external load produces negligible fatigue damage in the cracked component. The current investigation provides a reassessment of the frequently used concept with an emphasis on the plasticity-induced crack closure. A center cracked specimen made of 1070 steel was investigated. The specimen was subjected to plane-stress mode I loading. An elastic–plastic stress analysis was conducted for the cracked specimens using the finite element method. By applying the commonly used one-node-per-cycle debonding scheme for the crack closure simulations, it was shown that the predicted crack opening load did not stabilize when the extended crack was less than four times of the plastic zone size. The predicted opening load was strongly influenced by the plasticity model used. When the elastic–perfectly plastic (EPP) stress–strain relationship was used together with the kinematic hardening plasticity theory, the predicted crack opening load was found to be critically dependent on the element size of the finite element mesh model. For R = 0, the predicted crack opening load was greatly reduced when the finite element size became very fine. The kinematic hardening rule with the bilinear (BL) stress–strain relationship predicted crack closure with less dependence on the element size. When a recently developed cyclic plasticity model was used, the element size effect on the predicted crack opening level was insignificant. While crack closure may occur, it was demonstrated that cyclic plasticity persisted in the material near the crack tip. The cyclic plasticity was reduced but not negligible when the crack was closed. The traditional approaches may have overestimated the effect of crack closure in fatigue crack growth predictions.     

Three-dimensional effects in interfacial crack propagation

The paper describes the use of crack-opening interferometry for examining the variation in normal crack-opening displacements (NCOD) along the front of an interfacial crack in an edge-cracked bimaterial strip under biaxial loading. For the glass/epoxy combination considered here, the crack front was concave in the direction of crack growth, in contrast to previous observations with a glass/polyurethane/glass sandwich specimen and cracks in homogeneous materials. The NCOD were greatest in the interior of the specimen for all mode-mixes considered and the exponents in a power-law fit of NCOD versus distance from the crack front decreased towards the free surface. The exponents varied with mode-mix, suggesting that interfacial crack-front geometries could be similarly affected.     

Generating dynamic crack growth resistance curves for fiber-reinforced concrete

Fiber-reinforced concrete is known to have a greater resistance to impact and impulsively applied loads than its plain counterpart. However, the exact mechanisms that contribute to this enhanced resistance are not known, and fundamental fracture tests are necessary to develop such an understanding. To this end, an instrumented drop weight impact machine was configured to perform dynamic fracture studies on fiber-reinforced concrete specimens. Cracks were allowed to open in Mode I under high rates of loading using contoured double cantilever beam specimens. The paper describes the test apparatus, instrumentation, calibration, and the data analysis. The technique was applied to investigate dynamic crack growth in two types of fiber-reinforced concrete composites: one with steel macrofiber and the other with polypropylene macrofiber. Companion tests were performed under quasi-static conditions. Test data indicate that the proposed technique can be successfully applied to study dynamic crack growth in cement-based composites and to further enhance their properties.     

Effect of orthotropy on crack propagation

The tendency of moving cracks to spread along the preferred directions of material anisotropy is treated. Depending on the velocity of crack propagation, the change of material properties in orthogonal planes is shown to affect the bifurcation characteristics. The problem is reduced to a system of dual integral equations that can be solved in a standard fashion. Of particular interest is the dynamic stress field near the tip of a moving crack in an orthotropic material. Although the 1√r stress singularity is preserved with r being the radial distance measured from the crack tip, the angular variations of the stresses are dependent on crack speed and material anisotropy. The possibility of crack bifurcation is examined by application of the strain energy density criterion for several composite systems. Crack branching is found to be enhanced by material anisotropy, a phenomenon that is not uncommon in composite materials.     

Subsonic Griffith crack propagation in piezoelectric media

The plane problem of a Griffith crack steadily propagating in an anisotropic piezoelectric medium is investigated through an analytical approach which is new in this topic. Complete solutions are provided in the subsonic regime under permeable and impermeable boundary conditions and the combined effects of mechanical and electrical far-fields are pointed out.     

Dynamic crack propagation in a viscoelastic strip

The dynamic propagation of a semi-infinite crack in a finite linear viscoelastic strip subjected to Mode I loading is investigated. Through the use of integral transforms the problem is reduced to solving a Wiener-Hopf equation. The asymptotic properties of the transforms are exploited to establish the stress intensity factor. Plane-stress and plane-strain stress intensity factors as a function of crack speed for both fully-clamped and shear-free lateral boundaries are presented for the standard linear viscoelastic solid. Comparisons are made with previously obtained asymptotic stress intensity factors and with stress intensity factors for the equivalent elastic strips.     

修正的拉应力裂纹扩展准则及裂隙\=水压对裂纹扩展的影响

对脆性材料的第一主应力--拉应力裂纹扩展准则进行了补充和修正,修正的裂纹扩展准则能确定裂纹扩展步长.以平面斜置裂纹扩展为例,利用无网格Galerkin方法,对不含裂隙水压的二维裂纹扩展进行数值模拟,计算结果与试验结果一致,表明最大周向拉应力准则的正确性.在不同裂隙水压条件下,研究了二维裂纹初始破裂,并在给定水压下对二维裂纹扩展路径进行了数值模拟跟踪.结果表明裂隙水压对裂纹初始破裂方向、破裂步长、破裂载荷和裂隙岩体破裂强度有显著影响.有水压和无水压的扩展迹线不同,但后续的扩展趋势相同.     

Dynamics of asymmetrical crack propagation in composite materials

When a crack appears in composite materials, the fibrous system will form bridges, and the crack propagates asymmetrically as a rule. A dynamic model of an asymmetrical crack propagation is considered and investigated by applying the self-similar functions. The formulation involves the development of a Riemann–Hilbert problem. The analytical solution of an asymmetrical propagation crack of composite materials under the action of variable moving loads and unit-step moving loads is obtained.     

Limiting velocity of crack propagation in elastic materials

A crack is represented as a continuous set of linear dislocations. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the potential and kinetic energies of the environment of moving cracks and the attached mass of cracks for an arbitrary form of the stress applied to the crack P(x). It is shown that the indicated analytical expressions are bilinear integrals of the functions P(x) and ∂P(x)/∂x. These integrals are calculated in explicit form for a constant stress over the entire crack length and the stress due to the action of molecular adhesion forces in a narrow region near the crack openings. It is shown that the calculation results does not depend on the form of molecular adhesion forces. The proposed approach to describing cracks and calculations based on it has made it possible for the first time to obtain a complete analytical expression for the limiting crack propagation velocity in elastic materials as a function of the main mechanical characteristics of such materials. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 158–166, July–August, 2009.