Computational modelling of microcracking effects in polycrystalline piezoelectric ceramics

Abstract

MSC (2000) 82D45, 74R20, 74M25Piezoelectric ceramics nowadays are widely commercialised in various fields of engineering technology and related constitutive modelling approaches constitute an active field of research. The physical performance of these materials is often limited by fatigue effects, possibly in combination with micro-cracking phenomena. In this contribution, such micro-crackbased fatigue effects in ferroelectric materials are computationally investigated by applying a cohesive-type approach embedded into a finite element context. The geometry or rather discretisation of a representative specimen elaborated in this work refers to a natural grain structure on the meso-level. Accordingly, the overall response of the underlying grains is approximated by means of coupled continuum elements, while the grain boundaries are discretised with interface elements. Interfacial constitutive relations are chosen to reflect highcycle-fatigue, which finally is demonstrated by a fatigue-motivated benchmark-type boundary value problem.

Continuum damage model for ferroelectric materials and its application to multilayer actuators

“…The model, however, lacks ferroelectric hysteresis phenomena and is only applicable to constant loadings. Utzinger et al [12,13] presented a model which explicitly describes the grain structure of piezoelectrics. Fatigue studies are performed by applying a cohesive zone model and FE simulations.…”