On a semi-infinite crack penetrating a piezoelectric circular inhomogeneity with a viscous interface

We investigate a semi-infinite crack penetrating a piezoelectric circular inhomogeneity bonded to an infinite piezoelectric matrix through a linear viscous interface. The tip of the crack is at the center of the circular inhomogeneity. By means of the complex variable and conformal mapping methods, exact closed-form solutions in terms of elementary functions are derived for the following three loading cases: (i) nominal Mode-III stress and electric displacement intensity factors at infinity; (ii) a piezoelectric screw dislocation located in the unbounded matrix: and (iii) a piezoelectric screw dislocation located in the inhomogeneity. The time-dependent electroelastic field in the cracked composite system is obtained. Particularly the time-dependent stress and electric displacement intensity factors at the crack tip, jumps in the displacement and electric potential across the crack surfaces, displacement jump across the viscous interface, and image force acting on the piezoelectric screw dislocation are all derived. It is found that the value of the relaxation (or characteristic) time for this cracked composite system is just twice as that for the same fibrous composite system without crack. Finally, we extend the methods to the more general scenario where a semi-infinite wedge crack is within the inhomogeneity/matrix composite system with a viscous interface. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.