Fundamentals of Fracture
A separation of an object into two or more pieces in response to active
stresses far below the melting temperature of the material.
Atoms on the surface of a material give rise to a surface energy
- Stems from the open bonds on the outer atoms
- Grain boundaries also contain a surface energy due to
the large number of open bonds
Two steps in the process of fracture:
- Crack initiation
- Propagation