Interface crack problem in layered orthotropic materials under thermo-mechanical loading

In the present paper, the behavior of an interface crack for a homogeneous orthotropic strip sandwiched between two different functionally graded orthotropic materials subjected to thermal and mechanical loading is considered. It is assumed that interface crack is partly insulated, and the temperature drop across the crack surfaces is the result of the thermal resistance due to the heat conduction through the crack region. The elastic properties of the material are assumed to vary continuously along the thickness direction. The principal directions of orthotropy are parallel and perpendicular to the crack orientation. The complicated mixed boundary problems of equations of heat conduction and elasticity are converted analytically into singular integral equations, which are solved numerically. The main objective of the paper is to study the effects of material nonhomogeneity parameters and the dimensionless thermal resistance on the thermal stress intensity factors for the purpose of gaining better understanding of the thermal behavior of graded layer. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.