Study on crack propagation in ferroelectric single crystal under electric loading

The crack propagation in ferroelectric single crystals subjected to electric fields was studied experimentally and theoretically. An in situ observation of crack propagation and domain switching near the crack tip in a poled PMN–PT62/38 single crystal was carried out using polarized optical microscopy. It was found that a pure negative electric field leads to a larger domain switching zone near the crack tip than a positive one does. A negative electric field below the coercive field can cause crack propagation, while no crack growth was observed for a positive electric field far larger than the coercive field. A fracture model based on energy analysis was developed which indicates that the energy variation due to the domain switching provides the thermodynamic driving force for the crack propagation under pure electric loading. The critical electrical loading for the crack growth determined by this model agrees well with experiments.     

浸蚀促进BaTiO3单晶的畴变和裂纹扩展的研究

研究了浸蚀对极化和未极化的BaTiO3单晶中畴变和压痕裂纹扩展的影响.结果表明,对面内极化试样(即极化方向[001],压痕面(100)),用HCl+HF水溶液浸蚀20 s,其压痕裂纹的平均长度由(140±17)μm扩展至(211±26)μm,即增长50%,同时压痕裂纹所围的90°畴变区也明显增大;先浸蚀再打压痕和压痕后再浸蚀所得的结果相同.其原因和浸蚀剂分子吸附降低表面能有关.对离面极化试样(即压痕面(001)垂直于极化方向[001]),则浸蚀对其裂纹长度和畴变区基本没有影响.对未极化试样,浸蚀使其裂纹长度从(150±21)μm增至(182±30)μm,即增长约20%,同时畴变区亦增大.     

湿度对恒电场下BaTiO3单晶中畴变的影响

通过偏振光显微镜观察了在恒电场作用下湿空气对BaTiO3单晶畴变的影响.结果表明,在恒电场下,湿度对不同的畴结构有不同的影响.较低的湿度对a-b和b-c畴结构没有影响.而在较高的湿度下,随着放置时间的增加,b-c畴结构发生了变化,b畴逐渐向c畴转变;但是较高的湿度对a-b畴结构无影响.可用水分子在a(b)畴和c畴上的吸附差别解释上述现象.     

Effect of switching stresses on domain evolution during quasi-static crack growth in a ferroelastic single crystal

The present paper demonstrates the effect of switching stresses on domain evolution and fracture toughening during quasi-static crack growth in elastically isotropic ferroelastic single crystals with transversally isotropic ferroelastic strains. With a simple switching algorithm and crack propagation procedure, domain evolution is simulated in an exemplary material with semi-infinite crack under mode I loading, starting from a mono-domain configuration. Domain reorientation is found to be strongly affected by switching stresses, which therefore have to be considered in the context of domain evolution modelling and fracture toughening. Before the onset of crack growth a needle-like domain is formed at the tip of the stationary crack, but this does not effect the crack tip stress intensity factor. Elongation of this domain during the onset of crack growth causes a large increase of the fracture toughness. Domain separation in a later stage results in toughness reduction. The subsequent domain evolution indicates a periodic formation of needle-like domains as observed in soft ferroelastic materials.     

Dynamic processes of domain switching in lead zirconate titanate under cyclic mechanical loading by in situ neutron diffraction

The performance of ferroelectric ceramics is governed by the ability of domains to switch. A decrease in the switching ability can lead to degradation of the materials and failure of ferroelectric devices. In this work the dynamic properties of domain reorientation are studied. In situ time-of-flight neutron diffraction is used to probe the evolution of ferroelastic domain texture under mechanical cyclic loading in bulk lead zirconate titanate ceramics. The high sensitivity of neutron diffraction to lattice strain is exploited to precisely analyze the change of domain texture and strain through a full-pattern Rietveld method. These results are then used to construct a viscoelastic model, which explains the correlation between macroscopic phenomena (i.e. creep and recovered deformation) and microscopic dynamic behavior (i.e. ferroelastic switching, lattice strain).     

Pseudoelastic behavior of CuAINi single crystal under biaxial loading

Shape memory alloy (SMA) is one of the promising smart materials because of their ability to perflmn two different tasks: sensing, and actuating. CuAINi is a kind of SMA with a very wide use. In order to investigate basic properties of pseudoelasticity of CuAINi single crystal, uniaxial and biaxial loading tests under different combined loads at a constant temperature were performed on cruciform specimens, and experimental data were compared with theoretical calculation based on a proposed constitutive model.     

Prediction of fatigue crack propagation life in notched members under variable amplitude loading

One of the interesting phenomenon in the study of fatigue crack propagation under variable amplitude load cycling is the crack growth retardation that normally occurs due to the application of a periodic overload. Fatigue crack growth rate under simple variable amplitude loading sequence incorporating period overloads is studied using single edge notched specimens of AISI304 stainless steel. Load interaction effects due to single and multiple overload have been addressed. Substantial retardation of fatigue crack growth rate is observed due to the introduction of periodic tensile overloads. Estimates of fatigue life have been obtained employing Wheeler model (using Paris and modified Paris equations) and Elber’s model. Analytical predictions are compared with experimental results. Results of these analytical fatigue life predictions show good agreement with the experimental fatigue life data. Fatigue crack propagation rates also have been evaluated from the fractographic study of fatigue striations seen on the fracture surface. Good agreement was found between the experimentally observed crack growth rates and the fatigue crack growth rates determined by the fractographic studies.     

冲击载荷下P91钢的裂纹萌生与扩展行为研究

临界生长和占总冲击能量66%的裂纹亚临界生长能量,保证了钢的强韧性优良,抗过载能力优良,工程服役的安全性高.     

Grain-size effects on dielectric and piezoelectric properties of poled BaTiO3 ceramics

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) is known historically as the first ceramic piezoelectric material and shows a high possibility of being revitalized as a popular lead-free piezoelectric material. However, few systematic studies of the grain-size effects on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of poled BaTiO₃ ceramics have been carried out to date. In this work, a series of dense BaTiO₃ ceramics with uniform grain-size distribution were successfully prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction, and the grain-size effects on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties were explored in their poled states. An interesting physical phenomenon has been found: dielectric permittivity ε′ and the piezoelectric constant d₃₃ increase significantly at room temperature with the reduction of the average grain size g and reach the maxima at g = 0.94 μm. It was revealed that domain structure and relative density play substantial roles in determining the ε′ and d₃₃ behaviors. The average 90° domain width decreases monotonically with g. Both the 90° domain wall density and the area dimension of area dimension domain wall are considered as important factors that greatly influence the d₃₃ value. Extrinsic contribution comprises the major part of the observed d₃₃ values in the fine-grained BaTiO₃ ceramics.     

剪切载荷条件下镍基单晶合金裂纹扩展与微观结构演化行为研究

目前拉伸载荷下的镍基单晶合金的力学性能研究较为广泛,而剪切载荷对镍基单晶合金的力学性能也十分重要但缺乏研究。本文利用分子动力学方法研究了镍基单晶合金在剪切载荷下的裂纹扩展和微观结构演化,分析了应力-应变、势能和裂纹生长速率的变化。同时,揭示了温度和剪切应变率对裂纹扩展和微观结构演化的影响。结果表明,临界分切应力随温度的降低和应变速率的增大而增大;随着温度的升高以及剪切载荷下发生剧烈的热运动,裂缝表现为加速扩展的趋势;而在较高的应变率影响下,会形成位错塞积和孪晶,出现加工硬化现象。     

The role of mechanical twinning on microcrack nucleation and crack propagation in a near-γ TiAl alloy

The role of mechanical twinning on microcrack nucleation and crack propagation in a near-γ TiAl alloy was investigated in 4-point bend specimens using selected area channeling patterns and electron channeling contrast imaging to obtain the true crystal orientation image crystal defects. Two types of bend specimens were used, a conventional specimen that was deformed to a surface strain of about 1.4%, but not fractured, and a bi-layer notched specimen with an aluminum backing that prevented catastrophic fracture so that crack arrest features could be examined. Most grains showed activity of 1–4 twinning systems, and their activity correlated closely with the Schmid factor. Grain boundary microcracks were most frequently found where twins interacted with the grain boundary, and crystallographic analysis indicated that the twinning shear caused these cracks to open. In the crack growth specimen, extensive twinning and dislocation activity occurred in the grain with the arrested crack tip, but with continued straining, these same twins caused grain boundary microcracks to form and link-up to form full intergranular cracks, resulting in renucleation of the primary failure crack.     

Domain switching and creep behavior of a poled PZT wafer under through-thickness electric fields at high temperatures

Various constant magnitudes of through-thickness electric field are applied to a poled PZT wafer for about 1800 s at four different high temperatures. The wafer is then removed swiftly from the field and kept at zero electric field for about 1000 s. During the whole period of nonzero and zero electric field loading time, the electric displacement in thickness direction and the in-plane strain of the wafer are measured over time. The measured responses at different electric fields and temperatures are discussed and compared with one another. The dependence of various linear moduli on remanent quantities and temperature is obtained; the creep responses of the wafer at high temperatures are compared and discussed; and finally the domain-switching processes at different electric fields and temperatures are discussed in terms of reference remanent quantities.     

Strain and texture evolution during mechanical loading of a crack tip in martensitic shape-memory NiTi

In situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements are used to create two-dimensional maps of elastic strain and texture, averaged over a compact-tension specimen thickness, near a crack tip in a martensitic NiTi alloy. After fatigue crack propagation, the material ahead of the crack and in its wake exhibits a strong texture, which is eliminated by subsequent shape-memory heat treatment, indicating that this texture is due to detwinning, the main deformation mechanism of NiTi. Upon subsequent application of a static tensile stresses, the highly textured zone reappears and grows around the crack tip as the applied stress is increased. At the highest applied stress intensity of 35 MPa m^1/2, large tensile strains are measured ahead of the crack tip and considerable elastic anisotropy is observed. This detwinning zone is similar to the plastic zone produced by dislocation slip present around cracks in other metals. The texture in this zone is not significantly altered after mechanical unloading, despite the development of substantial triaxial compressive residual strains in this zone.     

A study of mechanisms of domain switching in a ferroelectric material via loading rate effect

A method to characterize the strain–electric field butterfly behavior based on the underlying domain switching mechanism is first presented. The effect of loading rate on the different characteristics of the strain–electric field butterfly behavior is then studied. By comparing the changes in these characteristics under different loading rates, it is established that the loading rate dependence of the strain–electric field butterfly behavior is mainly due to two factors: (i) the dependence of the switching of individual domains on the magnitude and duration of the loading time; and (ii) the variation of the transition electric field with the loading rate. Finally, the stability of switched domains is investigated by unloading and reloading the electric field at several predetermined values in the loading cycle. Several interesting attributes of the domain switching behavior that may shed further light on understanding the underlying mechanism of domain switching is illustrated in the present study. The present study also demonstrates that the proposed method of characterizing the strain–electric butterfly behavior based on the underlying domain switching mechanism is very effective for studying ferroelectric behavior under different loading conditions.     

Micromechanisms of fatigue crack growth in a single crystal Inconel 718 nickel-based superalloy

The fatigue crack growth behavior of an experimental, single crystal alloy, of equivalent nominal chemical composition to Inconel 718 is presented. Fracture modes under cyclic loading were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The results of the fractographic analyses are presented on a fracture mechanism map that shows the dependence of the fatigue fracture mechanisms on the maximum stress intensity factor, K_max, and the stress intensity factor range, ΔK. Crack-tip deformation mechanisms associated with fatigue crack growth were studied using transmission electron microscopy. The relative effects of ΔK and K_max on the fatigue crack growth behavior of this material are discussed within the context of a two-parameter crack growth law. The influence of grain boundaries on the fatigue crack growth resistance of materials such as Inconel 718 is also discussed in light of the results of this investigation.