Self-similarity of crack propagation in inhomogeneous materials
- 1 April 1999
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Philosophical Magazine Letters
- Vol. 79 (4) , 187-193
- https://doi.org/10.1080/095008399177426
Abstract
A non-equilibrium statistical method is used to study the origin of selfsimilarity of crack propagation. Here, crack propagation is regarded as a stochastic process due to the inhomogeneity of the material's microstructure. The crack propagation rate is expressed by a deterministic term combined with a nonlinear stochastic term. From the rate expression, the statistical evolution equation of microcracks is established. Then, from its solution, the origin of self-similarity of crack propagation is discussed and the necessary condition for self-similar behaviour of crack propagation is given. The probability distribution function of crack density, which has a self-similar property, is found to be of the form of the Weibull function modified by a confluent hypergeometric function.Keywords
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