Angular distribution of energy release rates and fracture of piezoelectric solids

Applicability of energy release rate criteria to piezoelectric materials is examined in this paper. The angular distribution of strain and total energy release rates at a crack tip in a plane piezoelectric medium is first formulated by using a branched crack model. By relaxing the commonly held assumption of self-similar crack propagation and incorporating in the fracture toughness anisotropy, the criteria of modified strain energy release rate...