Stress intensity factor in alumina-zirconia composites by a hybrid finite element method

The present paper describes a numerical method which is able to calculate the stress intensity factor in two dimensional heterogeneous materials under mechanical and thermal loads. The proposed method uses two hybrid element formulations to model the second phase heterogeneities of the material and the crack tips. The method was used to analyse alumina-zirconia ceramic materials, and the effects due to the zirconia t→m phase transformation and the thermal stresses, which develop during the cooling stage of sintering, were taken into account in calculating the stress intensity factor.