Part IB, Materials

Course DMaterials & Structures

DH53

Equilibrium crack length in wedging

Consider a wedge of thickness h inserted beneath a thin layer of material (of thickness
d) attached to a block of unit width causing the thin layer to peel off.

Consider the energy changes as the crack changes length. There are 3 contributions:
1. Elastic strain energy of the thin peeling layer,
2. Work done by applied force F,
3. Work required to create new surface.

LT 2010

Part IB, Materials

Course DMaterials & Structures

DH54

Estimate of the strain energy in a bent beam

In pure bending, where the moment, M, is constant along a beam of length L, the
curvature of the beam, , and the angle, , through which the beam is bent is given by
=

M
M
, so =
L
EI
EI

The strain energy, Ustrain, is given by

U strain =

1
M 2L
M =
2
2 EI

Here the moment therefore varies along the length so that Ustrain becomes
L

U strain =

M2
dx
2 EI

where x is the distance along the beam from the point of application of force at the
free end. The bending moment is given at any point x by M = Fx (see PtIA M&MS,
Course E) so,
U strain

F 2 L3
=
6 EI

The work done, Wforce, by the applied force when the beam is bent is
1
Wforce = F
2
This is equal to the strain energy in the beam, Ustrain, so that
3EI
F= 3
L
Substituting for F in the expression for Ustrain and remembering that I = wd3/12 for a
beam of thickness d and width w (Pt IA, Course E) gives

Ewd 3 2
U strain =

3
8L
For our peeling layer of unit width, i.e. w = 1, then L c and h, so the strain
energy in the peeling ligament, UE, is
UE =

Ed 3 h 2
8c 3

LT 2010

Part IB, Materials

Course DMaterials & Structures

DH55

How does U vary with c?

The elastic strain energy, UE
There is elastic strain energy in the peeling layer from C to the point where the wedge
touches the layer is
UE =

Ed 3 h 2
8c 3

Work done by the force F, UF

UF is equal to F multiplied by the distance moved in the direction of its operation. F
operates at the point where the wedge meets the beam and does not therefore move in
the direction of its operation (it moves sideways) so

UF = 0
Work required to create new surface, US
Breaking the adhesive bond between the mica plates causes an increase in energy of
the surfaces
U S = c
The variation of these individual terms and that of the sum are shown in the figure
below.

Energy, mJ

30

20

10

0
0

10

c, mm

20

30

The data used is = 0.76 J m-2, E = 200 GPa, h = 0.48 mm, d = 75 m.

LT 2010

Part IB, Materials

Course DMaterials & Structures

DH56

This equilibrium point (the turning point) can be found by differentiating the overall
energy, U(c), with respect to c and finding the value of c where this differential is
equal to zero. That is where
d Ed 3 h 2

dc 8

3
c + c = 0

which gives the equilibrium crack length, ce, as

3Ed 3 h 2
ce =

14

If E, d and h are known, ce can be measured to give a value for .

Thermodynamic nature of crackingreversibility

If our system is truly thermodynamically reversible the crack tip should move
backwards (that is the crack should heal) if we pull the wedge out. To investigate this,
Obreimoff cleaved crystals of mica by wedging. On pushing the wedge in he found
that the crack grew at a constant distance ahead of the crack tip, as predicted, and
estimated a value of for mica close to that measured elsewhere. If he tested the
sample in vacuum he found that the crack would heal as he withdrew the wedge. This
is not surprising as we have already seen that surfaces can spontaneously bond
together on contact when we discussed friction.
However when the sample was tested in air this did not occur suggesting that
chemical groups may attach themselves to the surface of the mica, lowering, if not
eliminating, the ability of the crack to heal if the wedge is withdrawn.
Whilst chemical effects are important, Obreimoff's experiment clearly demonstrated
the reversible, thermodynamic nature of cracking and that the principle outlined by
Griffith was correct. All modern theories of fracture flow from this basic idea.

LT 2010