Finite element analysis of stress intensity factor of pre-cracked coated substrate under contact sliding

This establishes the effect of coating geometry with precrack on stress intensity factor (SIF) using Finite Element Simulation. The coating is assumed to be brittle and perfectly adhered to the substrate. The coating surface is loaded by a sliding cylinder across the crack, thus including normal and tangential loads. Results suggest that an increase in the pre- crack length in the coating causes the corresponding increase of the SIF, enhancing the possibility of the crack extension. A thicker coating with a long pre-crack length is predicted to continue increasing stress intensity factor (K) along the sliding path.