Non-local theory solution for a Mode I crack in piezoelectric materials

In this paper, the non-local theory of elasticity is applied to obtain the behavior of a Griffith crack in the piezoelectric materials subjected to a uniform tension loading. The permittivity of the air in the crack is considered. By means of the Fourier transform, the problem can be solved with the help of two pairs of dual integral equations, in which the unknown variables are the jumps of the displacements across the crack surfaces. To solve the dual integral equations, the jumps of the displacements across the crack surfaces are expanded in a series of Jacobi polynomials. Numerical examples are provided to show the effects of the crack length, the materials constants, the electric boundary conditions and the lattice parameter on the stress and the electric displacement fields near the crack tips. It can be obtained that the effects of the electric boundary conditions on the electric displacement fields are large. Unlike the classical elasticity solutions, it is found that no stress and electric displacement singularities are present at the crack tips. The non-local elastic solutions yield a finite hoop stress at the crack tips, thus allowing us to use the maximum stress as a fracture criterion.