FRACTURE

MECHANICS
MUHAMMAD ABDULLAH
ME-229
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS FRACTURE?
Simple fracture is the separation of a body into two or more pieces in

response to an imposed stress that is static (i.e., constant or slowly

changing with time) and at temperatures that are low relative to the

melting temperature of the material.

The applied stress may be tensile, compressive, shear, or torsional.
For engineering materials, two fracture modes are possible:
1. DUCTILE
Population
2. BRITTLE
Ecosystems can be created when biotic
and abiotic components are met.
DUCTILE FRACTURE
Classification is based on the ability of a material to

experience plastic deformation. Ductile materials

typically exhibit substantial plastic deformation with

high energy absorption before fracture.

Ductile fracture surfaces will have their own distinctive

features on both macroscopic and microscopic levels.

this figure shows schematic representations of how

material behaves.
figure(a) is found for extremely soft metals, such as pure

gold at room temperature. These highly ductile

materials neck down to a point fracture, showing

virtually 100% reduction in area.

The most common type of tensile fracture profile for

ductile metals is that represented in Figure(b) where

fracture is preceded by only a moderate amount of

necking
STAGES OF FRACTURE
The fracture process normally occurs in several stages. First,

after necking begins, small cavities, or micro voids, form in

the interior of the cross section, as indicated in the figure(b).

As deformation continues, these micro voids enlarge, come

together, and coalesce to form an elliptical crack, which has

its long axis perpendicular to the stress direction. The crack

continues to grow as in figure(c). Finally, fracture ensues by

the rapid propagation of a crack around the outer perimeter

of the neck figure(d), by shear deformation at an angle of

about with the tensile axis this is the angle at which the shear

stress is a maximum. Sometimes a fracture having this

characteristic surface contour is termed a cup and cone

fracture because one of the mating surfaces is in the form of a

cup, the other like a cone.

BRITTLE FRACTURE
Brittle fracture takes place without any appreciable deformation,

and by rapid crack propagation. The direction of crack motion is

very nearly perpendicular to the direction of the applied tensile

stress and yields a relatively flat fracture surface as it does not

undergo any plastic deformation.

Fracture surfaces of materials that failed in a brittle manner will

have their own distinctive patterns like , in some steel pieces, a

series of V-shaped “chevron” markings may form near the center of

the fracture cross section.

Brittle fracture in amorphous materials, such as ceramic glasses,

yields a relatively shiny and smooth surface.

PRINCIPLE OF FRACTURE MECHANICS
STRESS CONCENTRATION
Stress concentration is the accumulation of stress in a

body due to sudden change in its geometry. When

there is a sudden change in the geometry of the body

due to cracks, sharp corners, holes and decrease in the

cross section area, then there is an increase in the

localised stress near these cracks, sharp corners, holes,

and decreased cross section area. The body tends to

fail from these places where the stress concentration is

more. So to prevent a body from getting failed, the

concentration of stress should be avoided or reduced.

It is also called as stress raisers or stress risers.
WHAT IS STRESS

CONCENTRATION FACTOR?
It is defined as the ratio of highest stress in the body to the

reference stress. It is denoted by Kt.

where maximum stress,

where stress conc. factor kt,

FRACTURE TOUGHNESS
Fracture toughness dependence on critical stress for crack propagation

and crack length. Fracture mechanical principles, an expression has

been developed that relates this critical stress for crack propagation

and crack length (a) as

In this expression is the fracture toughness, a property that is a measure

of a material’s resistance to brittle fracture when a crack is present.

MODES OF FRACTURE CRACK
Mode I – Opening mode (a tensile stress

normal to the plane of the crack),

Mode II – Sliding mode (a shear stress acting

parallel to the plane of the crack and

perpendicular to the crack front), and

Mode III – Tearing mode (a shear stress acting

parallel to the plane of the crack and parallel

to the crack front).

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