Fracture analysis of functionally graded coatings: plane deformation

A new multi-layered model for fracture analysis of functionally graded materials (FGMs) with arbitrarily varying elastic moduli under plane deformation has been developed. In this model, the FGM is divided into several sub-layers and in each sub-layer the shear modulus is assumed to be a linear function of the depth while the Poissonʹs ratio is assumed to be a constant. With this new model, an interface crack problem of a functionally graded coating bonded to a homogeneous half-plane under normal and shear loading is investigated. Employment of transfer matrix method and Fourier integral transform technique reduces the problem to a system of Cauchy singular integral equations which are solved numerically. Stress intensity factors of an interface crack are obtained for the cases of the shear modulus varying in an exponential manner and in a sinusoidal manner. Comparison of the present new model to other existing models shows that the new one is more efficient.