Impermeable Crack and Permeable Crack Assumptions, Which One is More Realistic?

Abstract

This paper investigates the applicability and effect of the crack-free electrical boundary conditions in piezoelectric fracture. By treating flaws in a medium as notches with a finite width, the results from different electrical boundary condition assumptions on the crack faces are compared. It is found that the electrically impermeable boundary is a reasonable one for engineering problems. Unless the flaw interior is filled with conductive media, the permeable crack assumption may not be directly applied to the fracture of piezoelectric materials in engineering applications.