Initial kinking of an interface crack between two elastic media under tension and shear

The initial kinking of a thin fracture process zone near the tip of an interface crack between two elastic media under plane strain is studied using the Wiener–Hopf method. The zone is modeled by the discontinuity plane of the normal displacement. This plane is assumed to emerge from the crack tip at an angle to the interface. The angle between the fracture process zone and the interface is determined from the condition that the potential energy is maximum in the zone. The dependence of the length of the zone and its angle on the external load and other parameters is analyzed in the cases of biaxial tension and pure shear. The results obtained are compared with theoretical and experimental data reported by other researchers