Effect of a transverse electric field on crack kinking in ferroelectric ceramics

The effect of a transverse electric field on crack kinking in ferroelectric ceramics subjected to purely electrical loading is investigated. The shape and size of the domain switching zone for the asymptotic problem of a semi-infinite crack in ferroelectric ceramics is shown to depend strongly on the ratio of the transverse electric field to the coercive electric field as well as the direction of the applied electric field and the polarization angle. Stress intensity factors induced by domain switching under small scale conditions are obtained from the solution of the switching zone. Numerical results of the kink angle are obtained as a function of the ratio of the transverse electric field to the coercive electric field for various polarization angles. It is shown that the sign and magnitude of the transverse electric field play a significant role in determining the direction of crack kinking. The influence of the polarization angles on the kink angle is also discussed.