Nonlinear fracture analysis of piezoelectric ceramics by finite element method

Abstract

In this paper, a simple nonlinear constitutive model for piezoelectric ceramics is devised. The model is implemented in a research finite element code and used to study the effect of domain switching and electric nonlinearity on the cracking behavior. J-integrals are computed along contours close to and well away from the crack tip. For linear materials, the computed J-integrals are essentially path independent. With the material nonlinearity considered, the integrals computed at the crack tip vicinity is higher than the ones computed well away from the crack tip. Using the former as the fracture criterion, it is found that crack propagation can be promoted by the electric field. © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.