Crack growth in non-homogeneous transformable ceramics. Part I: Constrained straight cracks

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Abstract

Crack growth in transformable ceramics is studied using a finite element approach. In the analysis, a continuum theory is used for the description of the inelastic deformation due to a stress-induced martensitic type phase transformation with both dilatation and shear strain components. Attention is focussed on materials in which the transformable phase is not distributed homogeneously, as is the case in, for example, most ZTA materials and Duplex Ceramics. In this paper, the distribution of transformable phase is assumed to be symmetric with respect to the crack plane; in Part II this assumption is left. The effect of the heterogeneity on the toughness is studied in detail. A small scale boundary value crack problem is formulated and an incremental loading algorithm with a nodal release technique is used to simulate crack advance. It is found that in all cases studied the maximum toughness improved relative to homogeneous materials with the same average volume fraction of zirconia. The results are presented in plots of transformation zones and crack-growth resistance curves.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)249-271
Number of pages23
JournalInternational Journal of Fracture
Volume79
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes

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