Fracture

Sujith R
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
BITS Pilani BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus
Hyderabad Campus
Simple fracture

• Separation of body into two or more pieces in response

to static force at relatively low homologous
temperatures.

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Ductile and Brittle Fracture

Ductility = f(T, dε/dt)

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Fracture process

Two step process

1. Crack initiation
2. Crack propagation

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Ductile: Macroscopic

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Ductile fracture by necking

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Ductile fracture:
Fractography

Dimples Shear dimples

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Brittle: Macroscopic

Lines/Ridges

Chevron/V-shaped

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Brittle: Microscopic

Transgranular cracking Intergranular cracking

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Principles of fracture
mechanics

Stress field surrounding an elliptical crack: Ingilis(1913)

Stress concentration factor, kt: σm/σa

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Theoretical fracture
strength

a0 x

σt = Ex*/(πa0)
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Griffith Crack Theory

• Energy method

(2𝛾𝐸)
• Critical fracture stress, σf =
𝜋𝑎

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Orowan’s theory

𝜋𝑎𝜎 2
Energy release rate, G =
𝐸
Resistance, R = 2γ

(𝐸𝐺𝑐 )
σf =
𝜋𝑎

Gc – critical strain energy release rate (J/m2)

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Modes of fracture

Opening mode In-plane sliding mode Out of plane sliding mode

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Stress intensity factor

• KI = σ 𝜋𝑎

• Fracture toughness, KIC = σf 𝜋𝑎

• KIC = 𝐺𝑐𝐸

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Fracture toughness
measurement (ASTM E399)

rp < B/25 (Plane strain)

rp > 4B/25 (Plane stress)

B ≥ (25/3π)(KIC/σy)2 ; From Irwin’s model (Plane strain)

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Compact tension test

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Three point bend test

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KIC for glasses

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Ductile to brittle transition
temperature (DBTT)

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Toughening mechanisms

• Shot peening

• Microstructural modification

• Transformation toughening

• Toughening of glass (Tempering / Ion exchange

process)

• Spontaneous microcracking

• Crack bridging
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