Failure Theories of Piezoelectric Materials

Abstract

In this chapter failure experiments and theories in piezoelectric materials are discussed. In present time the precision of experiments should still be improved. The failure theory in solids is very complicated and there is no unified critical criterion. It is clear that the critical energy for different failure version is different. Especially the version of brittle tension failure is significantly different with other versions. In piezoelectric ceramics the failure energy density of an electric field is much higher than that in mechanical loading. In this chapter the generalized stress intensity factor criterions; total, mechanical, and local energy release rate criterions; strain energy density factor criterion; modal strain energy density factor theory; small-scale domain switching theory; failure criterion of conductive cracks with charge-free zone model are studied. Some simple electric breakdown theories of solid dielectrics are also discussed.