Fracture flaws

The theoretieal fraeture parameters in (8.22) and (8.23), based on a model assuming an inherent power law fracture flaw distribution and a constant fracture growth velocity, can be determined with the strain rate dependent fracture data in Fig. 8.11 (Grady and Kipp, 1980). Using the fracture data for oil shale provides a value of m = 8 and a fracture stress dependence on strain... 

In both applications described above agreement is good, providing strong support for an energy balance theory of fragmentation. Note in particular that no recourse to an inherent fracture flaw distribution was needed. 

Information supplied by flaw visualization systems has decisive influence on fracture assessment of the defect. Results of expert ultrasonic examination show that in order to take advantage of AUGUR4.2 potentialities in full measure advanced methods of defect assessment should be applied using computer modelling, in-site data of material mechanical properties and load monitoring [4]. 

Using flaw visuahzation system data the strength and fracture mechanics estimations are carried out in accordance with defect assessment regulatory procedure M-02-91 [5]. Recently, the additions had been included in the procedure, concerning interpretation of expert flaw visualization sysf em data, computer modelling, residual stresses, in-site properties of metal, methods of fracture analysis. 

The Institute has many-year experience of investigations and developments in the field of NDT. These are, mainly, developments which allowed creation of a series of eddy current flaw detectors for various applications. The Institute has traditionally studied the physico-mechanical properties of materials, their stressed-strained state, fracture mechanics and developed on this basis the procedures and instruments which measure the properties and predict the behaviour of materials. Quite important are also developments of technologies and equipment for control of thickness and adhesion of thin protective coatings on various bases, corrosion control of underground pipelines by indirect method, acoustic emission control of hydrogen and corrosion cracking in structural materials, etc. 

Fracture mechanics (qv) tests are typically used for stmctural adhesives. Thus, tests such as the double cantilever beam test (Fig. 2c), in which two thick adherends joined by an adhesive are broken by cleavage, provide information relating to stmctural flaws. Results can be reported in a number of ways. The most typical uses a quantity known as the strain energy release rate, given in energy per unit area. 

An additional issue in fiber strength is that of fatigue (22), which can produce delayed failure of a fiber. Fatigue is thought to be caused by a surface reaction of fiber and OH causing the growth of subcritical flaws to the point where fracture occurs. 

Substantial work on the appHcation of fracture mechanics techniques to plastics has occurred siace the 1970s (215—222). This is based on earlier work on inorganic glasses, which showed that failure stress is proportional to the square root of the energy required to create the new surfaces as a crack grows and iaversely with the square root of the crack size (223). For the use of linear elastic fracture mechanics ia plastics, certaia assumptioas must be met (224) (/) the material is linearly elastic (2) the flaws within the material are sharp and (J) plane strain conditions apply ia the crack froat regioa. 

Fracture markings can be used to locate the failure origin, which is the discontinuity or flaw that caused the appHed stress to be amplified locally. Once the failure origin has been located, the failure stress can be estimated using the flaw size and equation 6, or the distances to the boundaries of the mirror, mist, and hackle (whichever is most evident) and the foUowing relation (63)... 

Size Distribution Relationships. Different models have been used to describe the size distribution of particles experiencing single and multiple fractures. A model based on fracture at the site of the weakest link and a distribution of weakest links in the system gave results that could be described as well by the Rosin-Rammler relation (56). The latter is based on the concept that fracture takes place at pre-existing flaws that are distributed randomly throughout the particle. 

Fig. 5c. Relation of T-curve to crack growth and strength (c) fracture strength as a function of crack size showing region of flaw size tolerance.

Nondestructive testing of both the plate and the finished vessel is important to safety. In the analysis of fracture hazards, it is important to know the size or the flaws that may be present in the completed ves-... 

The development of flaws and the loss of interparticle bonding during decompression substantially weaken compacts (see breakage subsection). Delamination during load removal involves the fracture of the compact into layers, and it is induced by strain recovery in excess of the elastic limit of the material which cannot be accommodated by... 

In the present section, attention will focus on the size of fragments created in a violent fragmentation event. The objective will be to explore some theoretical ideas which appear important to the dynamic fragmentation process. The two underlying phenomena that have dominated theoretical efforts in this area of dynamic fracture mechanics are the presence of an inherent flaw structure, and energy balance in the fracture process. 

On one hand, inherent flaws or perturbations in a fracturing body, which are the sites of internal fracture nucleation, have been recognized as important in determining characteristic fracture spacing and, consequently, the nominal fragment size in a fracture event. Theoretical work based on a physical description of these material imperfections has been actively pursued (Curran et al., 1977 Grady and Kipp, 1980). 

An acceptable reconciliation of inherent flaw and fracture energy concepts has not been achieved and provides an area of current study. The two theoretical concepts will be discussed, and several applications in fragment-size prediction will be described. We will make comparisons between the two fragmentation approaches and attempt to identify some conditions which determine when one or the other method applies. 

The importance of inherent flaws as sites of weakness for the nucleation of internal fracture seems almost intuitive. There is no need to dwell on theories of the strength of solids to recognize that material tensile strengths are orders of magnitude below theoretical limits. The Griffith theory of fracture in brittle material (Griflfith, 1920) is now a well-accepted part of linear-elastic fracture mechanics, and these concepts are readily extended to other material response laws. 

In many materials, the inherent flaws are easily recognized. Brittle polycrystalline materials, for example, contain microcracks, voids, and other imperfections that can be identified in micrographs, and are expected to provide sites for internal fracture activation. Artificial flaws introduced into a hollow metal shell by uniform scoring can be expected, under rapid expansion, to fracture the shell along the paths of scoring. 

In other cases, the inherent flaws or perturbations responsible for fracture are less easily recognized. The internal spalling of glass or the cavitation of a rapidly expanding liquid are examples although even here, some form of imperfection such as impurities, dislocations, or thermal fluctuations are expected to play an important role in nucleating the fracture process. 

There is considerable literature on material imperfections and their relation to the failure process. Typically, these theories are material dependent flaws are idealized as penny-shaped cracks, spherical pores, or other regular geometries, and their distribution in size, orientation, and spatial extent is specified. The tensile stress at which fracture initiates at a flaw depends on material properties and geometry of the flaw, and scales with the size of the flaw (Carroll and Holt, 1972a, b Curran et al., 1977 Davison et al., 1977). In thermally activated fracture processes, one or more specific mechanisms are considered, and the fracture activation rate at a specified tensile-stress level follows from the stress dependence of the Boltzmann factor (Zlatin and Ioffe, 1973). 

An eminently practical, if less physical, approach to inherent flaw-dependent fracture was proposed by Weibull (1939) in which specific characteristics of the flaws were left unspecified. Fractures activate at flaws distributed randomly throughout the body according to a Poisson point process, and the statistical mean number of active flaws n in a unit volume was assumed to increase with tensile stress a through some empirical relations such as a two-parameter power law... 

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