Homogenization and Path Independence of the J-Integral in Heterogeneous Materials

The J-integral that determines the driving force on a crack tip is a central concept of fracture mechanics. It is particularly useful since it is path independent in homogeneous materials. However, most materials are heterogeneous at a microscopic scale, and the J-integral is not necessarily path independent in heterogeneous media. In this paper, we prove the existence of an effective J-integral in heterogeneous media, show that it can be...