SEDL / STP / STP514-EB / STP38816S

The J Integral as a Fracture Criterion

Begley, JA
Westinghouse Research Laboratories, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Landes, JD
Westinghouse Research Laboratories, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Pages: 23    Published: Jan 1972

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Abstract

The path independent J integral, as formulated by Rice, can be viewed as a parameter which is an average measure of the crack tip elastic-plastic field. This together with the fact that J can be evaluated experimentally, makes a critical J value an attractive elastic-plastic fracture criterion. The J^Ic fracture criterion refers to crack initiation under plane strain conditions from essentially elastic to fully plastic behavior.

Experiments supporting the validity of a J^Ic fracture criterion are presented in this paper. Values of the J integral were determined experimentally for two steel alloys, one of low and the other of intermediate strength. A review is given of the analytic support for the J^Ic fracture criterion. The range of applicability of the J^Ic concept, its limitations, and its advantages are also discussed.