Melting and crack growth in electrical conductors subjected to short-duration current pulses

In this paper, we examine the response of a crack tip in an electrically conducting material subjected to a combination of mechanical load as well as a high density electrical current. We present a detailed examination of the process of evolution of melting and ejection, as revealed by high speed photography. The critical mechanical and electrical parameters that govern crack extension are then determined for two different alloys. Finally, we present an evaluation of the phenomenon through a coupled field simulation to examine the nature of the interaction between the electric field and the thermo-mechanical response.