Effect of loading rate on crack tip fields in three point bend fracture specimen of FCC single crystal

In this work, the effect of impact loading on mode I stationary crack tip fields in a three point bend FCC single crystal fracture specimen is investigated using plane strain finite element analysis. The behavior of the single crystal is assumed to be elastic-perfectly plastic. The main objective is to examine the role of material inertia in influencing the stress levels as well as the pattern of slip and kink shear bands around the tip. The results show that under quasi-static loading high stress levels prevail ahead of the notch tip. However, the specimen suffers considerable loss of constraint under dynamic loading, particularly during the initial stages. This increases with loading rate J ˙ . Also significant spread of the plastic zone occurs in the forward sector ahead of the tip under impact loading which is akin to isotropic solids. The pattern of shear bands around the tip in the single crystal also changes with impact velocity. In rate dependent single crystals, a competition between rate sensitivity and material inertia is observed. Thus, while the former enhances the stresses near the tip, the latter tends to reduce them.