Title: Effects of surface electrostatic force on piezoelectric fracture

Authors: Li-Cheng Meng, Cun-Fa Gao

Addresses: College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China. ' College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China

Abstract: The mode-I crack problem in a piezoelectric solid is re-visited by considering surface electrostatic force (Maxwell stress) along crack faces and at infinity of the solid. Using the permeable and semi-permeable crack models, the solutions for the electric field inside the crack, the intensity factors of fields and the crack opening are derived based on the complex variable method. Numerical results are also given. The results show that when the interior of the crack and the surrounding space at infinity are filled with different gases, the Maxwell stress can either enhance or retard crack growth.

Keywords: piezoelectric solids; crack modelling; Maxwell stress; surface electrostatic force; piezoelectric fracture; crack growth.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTAMM.2011.041173

International Journal of Theoretical and Applied Multiscale Mechanics, 2011 Vol.2 No.1, pp.46 - 61

Published online: 11 Jul 2011 *

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