Interaction of a system of cracks with an interface crack in functionally graded/homogeneous bimaterials under thermo-mechanical loading

The work is devoted to the investigation of fracture processes in the vicinity of an interface crack in functionally graded/homogeneous bimaterials with internal defects subjected to tensile loading and a heat flux. A previously obtained solution ([9-11]) for the case of thermal loading on the same geometry is used as a part of the present solution. The solution is based on the integral equation method and it is assumed that thermal properties of the functionally graded material (FGM) possess exponential form. An asymptotic analytical solution is derived for a special case where an interface crack is larger than internal cracks in the FGM. The stress intensity factors are presented as asymptotic analytical functions of geometry of the problem and material properties. Analyses of the effects of the location and orientation of the cracks and the material non-homogeneity parameters on the stress intensity factors in FGM/homogeneous bimaterials is performed in the presence of thermal and mechanical loading. Examples of some FGM/homogeneous bimaterial are discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.