On contact zone models for an electrically impermeable interface crack in a piezoelectric bimaterial

An electrically impermeable interface crack between two semi-infinite piezoelectric planes under remote mechanical tension-shear and electrical loading is studied. Assuming the stresses, strains and displacements are independent on the coordinate x2 the expressions for the elastic displacement and potential jumps as well as for the stresses and electrical displacement along the interface via a sectionally holomorphic vector function are found. Introducing an artificial contact zone at the right crack tip and assuming the materials possess the symmetry class 6 mm the problem is reduced for a wide range of bimaterial compounds to a combination of combined Dirichlet–Riemann and Hilbert boundary value problems which are solved analytically. From these solutions clear analytical expressions for characteristic mechanical and electrical parameters are derived. As particular cases of the above mentioned solution the classical (oscillating) and contact zone solutions are obtained. Further, a comparison with an associated solution for an electrically permeable crack has been performed. The fracture mechanical parameters for all models via the remote loads are found analytically and important relationships between these parameters are obtained. Due to these relationships an important algorithm of a numerical method applicable for the investigation of an interface crack in a finite sized piezoelectric bimaterial is suggested.