Mixed mode I/II brittle fracture in V-notched Brazilian disk specimens under negative mode I conditions

The well-known round-tip V-notched Brazilian disk specimen is utilized for conducting mixed mode I/II fracture tests on PMMA under negative mode I conditions for different notch angles and various notch radii with the aim to measure experimentally the fracture load and the fracture initiation angle. It is shown by the finite element analysis that although the notch is under negative mode I loading, one side of the notch border still experiences tensile tangential stresses suggesting that fracture would take place from the same side of notch border. Experimental observations also indicated that fracture occurs from the tensile side of the notch border confirming the finite element results. The experimental results are then theoretically estimated by means of two stress-based brittle fracture criteria, namely the round-tip V-notch maximum tangential stress and the mean-stress criteria. It is shown that both criteria provide very good predictions to the experimental results obtained under negative mode I conditions.