Open Access

ABSTRACT

On essential work of fracture method: theoretical consideration and numerical simulation

X.-H. Chen¹, Y.-W. Mai²

1 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Current address: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Stratford, CT, U.S.A.
2 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; and Hong Kong Polytechnic University,Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2010, 14(2), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.3970/icces.2010.014.043

Abstract

A general elastoplastic fracture mechanics theory is proposed for applying the Essential-Work-of-Fracture (EWF) Method to quasi-static and impact toughness characterization. Advanced finite element modeling is developed to simulate the EWF Method using the crack-tip opening angle criterion (CTOA) and the constitutive relation of the material under consideration. For Poly(ethylene-terephlate) (PET) films, the load-displacement curves are calculated for the whole crack propagation process of deeply double-edge notched tensile specimens (DENT) with different ligament lengths so as to determine the total work, the essential work and the non-essential work of fracture. The effects of specimen gauge length and ligament length on crack growth stability are also discussed in combination with experimental results.

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Keywords

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