Features of Shear Crack Growth Dynamics in Heterogeneous Brittle Materials

• Published in: Russian physics journal Vol. 65; no. 12; pp. 2216 - 2223
• Main Author: Grigoriev, A. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.04.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Brittle materials; Brittleness; Condensed Matter Physics; Crack propagation; Cracking (fracturing); Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Heterogeneity; Inhomogeneity; Kinetic theory; Lasers; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Nuclear Physics; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Propagation velocity; Theoretical; heterogeneous brittle materials; computer modeling; dynamic fracture; discrete element method; fracture process zone; mode II crack; fracture incubation time
• ISSN: 1064-8887; 1573-9228
• DOI: 10.1007/s11182-023-02893-5

The paper is devoted to the study of dynamic growth of shear cracks in brittle materials with various degrees of inhomogeneity of the internal structure. The study was carried out by DEM modeling using an advanced model of fracture based on the principles of kinetic theory of strength and taking into account the finite time of local fracture. The complexity of the material internal structure was effectively taken into account by changing the key parameter of the model – the fracture incubation time. It is shown that an increase in the degree of inhomogeneity of the internal structure leads to a decrease in the crack propagation velocity according to a logarithmic law. The key result of the research is the assessment of the size of fracture process zone. It is shown that the size of fracture process zone is not constant, but changes during dynamic crack growth. The nature of its change, as well as the average value, depends on the degree of heterogeneity of the material structure.