Field structure at mode Ⅲ dynamically propagating crack tip in elastic-viscoplastic materials

An elastic-viscoplastic mechanics model is used to investigate asymptotically the mode Ⅲ dynamically propagating crack tip field in elastic-viscoplastic materials. The stress and strain fields at the crack tip possess the same power-law singularity under a linear-hardening condition. The singularity exponent is uniquely determined by the viscosity coefficient of the material. Numerical results indicate that the motion parameter of the crack propagating speed has little effect on the zone structure at the crack tip. The hardening coefficient dominates the structure of the crack-tip field. However, the secondary plastic zone has little influence on the field. The viscosity of the material dominates the strength of stress and strain fields at the crack tip while it does have certain influence on the crack-tip field structure. The dynamic crack-tip field degenerates into the relevant quasi-static solution when the crack moving speed is zero. The corresponding perfectly-plastic solution is recovered from the linear-hardening solution when the hardening coefficient becomes zero.     

Perfect elastic-viscoplastic field at mode Ⅰ dynamic propagating crack-tip

The viscosity of material is considered at propagating crack-tip. Under the assumption that the artificial viscosity coefficient is in inverse proportion to power law of the plastic strain rate, an elastic-viscoplastic asymptotic analysis is carried out for moving crack-tip fields in power-hardening materials under plane-strain condition. A continuous solution is obtained containing no discontinuities. The variations of numerical solution are discussed for mode Ⅰ crack according to each parameter. It is shown that stress and strain both possess exponential singularity. The elasticity, plasticity and viscosity of material at crack-tip only can be matched reasonably under linear-hardening condition. And the tip field contains no elastic unloading zone for mode I crack. It approaches the limiting case, crack-tip is under ultra-viscose situation and energy accumulates, crack-tip begins to propagate under different compression situations.     

Field structure at mode III dynamically propagating crack tip in elastic-viscoplastic materials

An elastic-viscoplastic mechanics model is used to investigate asymptotically the mode Ⅲ dynamically propagating crack tip field in elastic-viscoplastic materials. The stress and strain fields at the crack tip possess the same power-law singularity under a linear-hardening condition. The singularity exponent is uniquely determined by the viscosity coefficient of the material. Numerical results indicate that the motion parameter of the crack propagating speed has little effect on the zone structure at the crack tip. The hardening coefficient dominates the structure of the crack-tip field. However, the secondary plastic zone has little influence on the field. The viscosity of the material dominates the strength of stress and strain fields at the crack tip while it does have certain influence on the crack-tip field structure. The dynamic crack-tip field degenerates into the relevant quasi-static solution when the crack moving speed is zero. The corresponding perfectly-plastic solution is recovered from the linear-hardening solution when the hardening coefficient becomes zero.     

The instability of the diffusion-controlled grain-boundary void in stressed solid

As atoms migrate along a void surface and grain-boundary, driven by various thermodynamic forces, the grain-boundary void changes its shape and volume. When the void changes its configuration, the free energy of the system also changes. In this article, the free energy is calculated for an evolving grain-boundary void filled with gas in a stressed solid. Then the instability conditions and the equilibrium shape of the void are determined as a function of the grain-boundary and surface energies, the void volume, the externally applied stresses, as well as the internal pressure built up by the gas filled in the void. The project supported by the National Natural Foundation of China (10272075 and 19972053)