Coupled hygro-thermo-viscoelastic fracture theory

• Published in: International journal of fracture Vol. 148; no. 1; pp. 47 - 55
• Main Author: Chen, Xiaohong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.11.2007; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Computer simulation; Crack propagation; Criteria; Dynamic loads; Dynamics; Energy dissipation; Energy release rate; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid flow; Fracture mechanics; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Free energy; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Loads (forces); Mathematical models; Physics; Solid mechanics; State variable; Static elasticity (thermoelasticity...); Structural and continuum mechanics; Time dependence; Vibration, mechanical wave, dynamic stability (aeroelasticity, vibration control...); Viscoelastic materials; Viscoelasticity; Viscoelasticity; Energy method; Hygrothermal variation; Energy release; Thermoviscoelasticity; Crack propagation, Internal state variable; Modeling; Crack propagation; State variable; Combined load; Thermodynamics; Fluid diffusion; Rupture; Thermomechanical properties; Quasi static theory; Experimental study; Multiaxial load; Free energy; Coupled hygro-thermo-viscoelastic fracture theory, Thermodynamically consistent time- dependent fracture criterion; Energy balance; Non isothermal condition; Generalized energy release rate; Environmental effect; Internal variable material; Dynamic load
• ISSN: 0376-9429; 1573-2673
• DOI: 10.1007/s10704-008-9176-8

A coupled hygro-thermo-viscoelastic fracture theory is developed for quasi-static and dynamic crack propagation in viscoelastic materials subject to combined mechanical loading and hygrothermal environmental exposure based on fundamental principles of thermodynamics. The Helmholtz free energy is taken to be a functional of the histories of strain, temperature and fluid concentration with the crack parameter being introduced as an internal state variable. A thermodynamically consistent time-dependent fracture criterion for crack propagation in the presence of thermally and mechanically assisted fluid transport is obtained from the global energy balance equation and the requirement of non-negativity of the global energy dissipation rate, which is generally applicable to both quasi-static and dynamic loading and both isothermal/isohumidity and non-isothermal/non-isohumidity conditions with classic fracture criteria as special cases. On the basis of the developed theory, the generalized energy release rate method, the generalized contour integral method and the extended essential work of fracture method are proposed for fracture characterization of load-carrying viscoelastic materials in hygrothermal environments, and the interrelation of these methods and their correlation with conventional methods and existing models, simulations and experiments are discussed.