Investigation of the mechanical strain energy release rate with respect to a fracture criterion for piezoelectric ceramics

Energy release rates of impermeable cracks in a piezoelectric center-cracked plate and in the piezoelectric compact tension specimen are computed by different methods and compared with analytical or numerical solutions available in the literature. The general statement is confirmed that the fracture criterion based on the mechanical strain energy release rate at least qualitatively accounts for experimentally observed trends of the critical loading parameters.