Mode-III cracks in piezoelectric materials

Abstract

The stress and electric fields around a mode-III crack containing a dielectric medium are formulated. Mechanical equilibrium requires that the crack surfaces be traction free. Previous solutions have used the electrical boundary condition that the electric displacement component perpendicular to the crack surfaces should be zero. However, cracks that are filled with a dielectric medium, such as vacuum or air, require that the electric displacement be continuous across the crack faces. Using the boundary condition appropriate for an insulating crack, the stress, strain, and electric-field strength are found to exhibit r−1/2 singularities while the electric displacement does not. The singularity in the electric-field strength arises from piezoelectricity. The driving force for crack growth is only related to the effective level of applied stress. Under constant displacement, the applied field may increase or decrease the effective applied stress depending on its direction. As a result the electric field may promote or retard the crack propagation.