Loïc Vanel et al 2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 214007 doi:10.1088/0022-3727/42/21/214007
Loïc Vanel1,2, Sergio Ciliberto1, Pierre-Philippe Cortet1 and Stéphane Santucci1
Show affiliationsWe review some theoretical and experimental works describing the slow, thermally activated, growth of a crack in a solid material under stress. Theoretical approaches fall into two main classes: creep crack growth models and elastic trap models. On the one hand, creep crack growth models describe the viscoplastic flow of matter until some characteristic rupture strain is reached. This first category of models applies especially to the case of polymer rupture. On the other hand, elastic trap models assume that a rupture energy barrier is overcome by elastic stress fluctuations. While this second category of models is more restricted since it applies only to materials with brittle rupture features, it offers a framework that can be interestingly and importantly extended to the case of heterogeneous materials. Models will be discussed in the light of recent experimental works.
62.20.M- Structural failure of materials
81.40.Np Fatigue, corrosion fatigue, embrittlement, cracking, fracture, and failure
81.40.Jj Elasticity and anelasticity, stress-strain relations
Issue 21 (7 November 2009)
Received 6 March 2009, in final form 5 June 2009
Published 22 October 2009
Loïc Vanel et al 2009 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 42 214007
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