Simulation of domain structures in cracked ferroelectric materials

The domain structure around a crack tip plays a significant role in the fracture behavior of ferroelectrics. A continuum phase field model is used to investigate the microstructure at the crack front. The concept of the Eshelby momentum tensor and configurational forces is then generalized to account for the contributions of the polarization term. Implementation of the generalized configurational force in the Finite Element code enables us to numerically obtain the driving force at the crack tip, which corresponds to the crack-tip energy release rate. Calculations show that additional positive electric fields tend to prohibit crack growth, whereas additional negative electric fields tend to promote crack growth. (© 2009 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)