Development of maximum tangential strain (MTSN) criterion for prediction of mixed-mode I/III brittle fracture

Abstract

A number of fracture criteria are available for predicting the cracking behavior under combined contribution of opening-tearing damage mechanism (i.e. mixed-mode I/III). But most of them have some limitations or discrepancies with the experimental results. In this research, a new form of maximum tangential strain criterion called 3D-MTSN is developed for predicting mixed-mode I/III fracture phenomenon. This criterion was used originally for analyzing the mixed-mode I/II fracture but we extended its ability for mixed mode I/III as well. Also, the influence of T-stress in addition to modes I and III stress intensity factors was also considered in driving the fracture toughness and fracture angle formulations of the 3D-MTSN criterion. According to this strain-based criterion it is shown that both sign and magnitude of T-stress can affect the fracture behavior of mixed mode I/III. In general, positive T-stress increases the mixed mode I/III fracture envelope and conversely negative sign of T-stress can decrease it. Meanwhile, the Poisson’s ratio (v) has noticeable influence on the mixed mode I/III fracture envelopes and by increasing v, the mixed mode fracture curve predicted by the generalized MTSN criterion shifts down except for those specimens having positive T-stress values and subjected to dominantly pure mode I loading conditions. The practical ability and validity of 3D-MTSN criterion is examined by predicting different sets of mixed mode I/III experimental results reported in the literature for different brittle and quasi-brittle materials tested with different test samples including edge-notch disc bend (ENDB), inclined single edge notch beam (ISENB) and semi-circular bend (SCB) specimens. A comprehensive comparison with the well-known 3D-MTS (stress-based) criterion was also performed. Compared to the other available energy-based fracture models, the presented 3D-MTSN criterion provided better estimations for the experimental results of different materials and specimens under dominantly mode III conditions.