A STUDY OF CRACK CLOSURE IN ELECTRIC-FIELD-INDUCED FATIGUE IN FERROELECTRIC CERAMICS

Considering the influence of the domain switching near the tip of a crack and apply-ing the idea of multiscale singularity fields in piezoelectric fracture,we have obtained an empiricalcriterion for the crack closure.Based on the domain switching in the electric yield region,referringto Yang’s results on the small scale yield model for the electrical fatigue crack,a model of thecrack closure during electric-field-induced fatigue is developed to analyze the crack growth.Interms of the model we have obtained the formula of the rate of the crack growth under cyclicelectric loading.Finally we compare the theoretical predictions with the results given by Cao andEvans experimentally.It should be pointed out that the model proposed is empirical and needsto be verified by more experimental results.