Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture
Ortellado L, Abate A, Santarossa A, Gómez LR, Pöschel T (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
Book Volume: 8
Article Number: 252
Journal Issue: 1
DOI: 10.1038/s42005-025-02151-9
Abstract
When brittle materials are subjected to uniaxial tensile stress, we observe planar crack propagation perpendicular to the loading direction. However, when additionally subjected to an out-of-plane shear stress, the crack tip/front deviates, leading to fragmentation in the form of twisting facets. Conventional linear fracture mechanics does not adequately describe this effect unless additional criteria are assumed. Among these, the principle of local symmetry, which states that fractures propagate in shear-free directions, is prominent but lacks robust experimental validation. Here we study fractures in hydrogels under mixed load. From the geometry of the evolving crack, we deduce the tension field near the fracture tips and find clear evidence that the principle of local symmetry governs the fragmentation. Our results indicate that the finite size of the fragmentation pattern’s facets and their elastic interactions account for deviations from the principle of local symmetry, providing new insights into fracture mechanics.
Authors with CRIS profile
Angel Santarossa
Lehrstuhl für Multiscale Simulation of Particulate Systems (MSS)
Thorsten Pöschel
Lehrstuhl für Multiscale Simulation of Particulate Systems (MSS)
Involved external institutions
Argentina (AR)How to cite
APA:
Ortellado, L., Abate, A., Santarossa, A., Gómez, L.R., & Pöschel, T. (2025). Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture. Communications Physics, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02151-9
MLA:
Ortellado, Laureano, et al. "Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture." Communications Physics 8.1 (2025).
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