FRACTURE ANALYSIS AND SHIELDING EFFECTS IN ADVANCED MATERIALS

Abstract

Due to their ability to interconnect electrical and mechanical domains, piezoelectric materials are increasingly finding applications in advanced electromechanical systems. Notably, magneto-electric composites like BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 have emerged as vital materials for the next generation of devices. Exploring this realm is a complex and significant endeavor, demanding the attention of the scientific community and further research. Over recent decades, the scope of formulating and executing computational models for continuous media has substantially broadened, encompassing a diverse array of material properties and fields in computational models. This article centers on the utilization of asymptotic analysis as a mathematical tool for constructing approximate equations and assessing the relevance of various hypotheses. It delves into the utilization of the perturbation method, pioneered by Kagadiy T. S. and others, to tackle two-dimensional contact problems in electropelasticity, particularly in the context of materials with linear anisotropy. The extensive applicability of this asymptotic approach underscores its efficacy in simplifying intricate problems by breaking them down into a sequence of boundary problem resolutions grounded in the theory of potentials. The collaborative effort of the authors in this research underscores that employing the mentioned method opens up avenues for formulating pertinent boundary problems for the fundamental equations. This, in turn, allows for the representation of the initial electropelasticity problem as a superposition of more manageable boundary problems. While mechanical and electrical components can be treated separately, they still interact via boundary conditions. To conduct a numerical analysis, the article examines scenarios where one crack surface slides parallel to the crack front against another and selects relevant materials with known characteristics. Calculations reveal that, even in the absence of mechanical load, crack surfaces undergo relative sliding due to non-zero electrical or magnetic fields. The study of the shielding effect, which mitigates crack motion by altering magnetic field distribution, holds particular significance. This effect reduces the overall stress intensity factor and impedes crack propagation. Conducting such a comprehensive analysis is pivotal for comprehending and foretelling the strength and reliability of structural components composed of piezoelectric and piezomagnetic materials. It is imperative to conduct a thorough examination of the mechanisms governing their failure.