Fracture mechanisms and the quantification of fracture resistance

While structural components may fail and cease to fulfil their functions due to a variety of reasons, failure through fracture, due to the formation and growth of cracks, remain one of the most common methods of loss of structural integrity. It is therefore necessary to understand the process of fracture and be able to quantify the resistance of materials to it. An attempt has been made in this paper to present an overview of fracture mechanisms and fracture mechanics based tests. The process of fatigue crack growth, brittle cleavage fracture, ductile fracture through microvoid coalescence, and intergranular fracture has been reviewed. The philosophy and procedures of standard fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth tests have been discussed.