Thermal stress intensity factors of interface cracks in bimaterials

Abstract

In this communication numerical results for thermal stress intensity factors (TSIFs) of interface cracks are presented for arbitrary material combinations which are characterized by Dundurs' parameters α and β. It is shown that TSIFs are linear in crack length ratio a/w and quadratic in α and depend also on β. The local phase angle at the interface crack tip is a linear function of α. The striking feature of residual thermal stresses is their strong mode II character at the tip of an interface crack. In the framework of linear elasticity these TSIFs can be linearly superimposed on the stress intensity factors (SIFs) from applied loads for interface cracks in composites.