Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture
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 f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02151-9 |
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| _version_ | 1849335662915878912 |
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| author | Laureano Ortellado Anabella Abate Angel Santarossa Leopoldo R. Gómez Thorsten Pöschel |
| author_facet | Laureano Ortellado Anabella Abate Angel Santarossa Leopoldo R. Gómez Thorsten Pöschel |
| author_sort | Laureano Ortellado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-405cd75da13b47fd99efeaf88775caf2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-405cd75da13b47fd99efeaf88775caf22025-08-20T03:45:11ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-06-018111110.1038/s42005-025-02151-9Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fractureLaureano Ortellado0Anabella Abate1Angel Santarossa2Leopoldo R. Gómez3Thorsten Pöschel4Department of Physics, Universidad Nacional del Sur - IFISUR - CONICETDepartment of Physics, Universidad Nacional del Sur - IFISUR - CONICETInstitute for Multiscale Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergDepartment of Physics, Universidad Nacional del Sur - IFISUR - CONICETInstitute for Multiscale Simulation, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-NürnbergAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02151-9 |
| spellingShingle | Laureano Ortellado Anabella Abate Angel Santarossa Leopoldo R. Gómez Thorsten Pöschel Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture Communications Physics |
| title | Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture |
| title_full | Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture |
| title_fullStr | Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture |
| title_full_unstemmed | Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture |
| title_short | Principle of local symmetry in mixed-mode fracture |
| title_sort | principle of local symmetry in mixed mode fracture |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-02151-9 |
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