Fatigue crack propagation in a piezoelectric ceramic strip subjected to mode III loading (Q1970803)

The authors investigate the fatigue crack propagation in an orthotropic, piezoelectric ceramic strip having a symmetrically situated, finite crack parallel to the edges and subjected to mode III loading, within the frame of linear piezoelectricity. The strip is subjected to both mechanical and electric loads. The problem is reduced to a pair of dual Fredholm integral equations of the second kind, solved numerically. A criterion for crack growth relying on the accumulated plastic displacement is used to derive a differential equation for crack growth for small-scale yielding, involving the stress intensity factor to the fourth power. The authors reach the expected conclusion that the fatigue crack growth rate increases when the strip width to crack length ratio decreases. Influence of the electric field on the fatigue behavior is also discussed.