On theoretical framework of nonequilibrium statistical fracture mechanics

Nonequilibrium statistical fracture mechanics is a theory of fracture that macromechanical quantities can be derived from the microscopic atomic mechanism of microcrack (or microvoid) evolution dynamics by means of nonequilibrium statistical physical concepts and methods. The microcrack evolution equation is the central equation in the theory. The coefficients of the equation, the microcrack growth rate and microcrack nucleation rate, come from microscopic atomic mechanism. The solution of the equation connects with macromechanical quantities by the model of the weakest chain. All the other formulas and quantities, for instance, microcrack distribution function, fracture probability, reliability, failure rate and macromechanical quantities such as strength, toughness, life etc. and their statistical distribution function and statistical fluctuations are derived in a unified fashion and expressed by a few physical parameters. This theory can be widely applied to various kinds of fracture, such as brittle, fatigue, delayed and environmental, of metals and structural ceramics. A detailed discussion in this paper is given on theoretical framework of nonequilibrium statistical Fracture mechanics by the way of brittle and fatigue fracture of metals. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.