• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2005

Effect of transverse electric fields on fracture behavior in ferroelectric ceramics under purely electrical loading is investigated. It is shown that the shape and size of the domain switching zone depend strongly on the ratio of the transverse electric field to the coercive electric field as well as the direction of the applied electric field. Under small-scale conditions, the crack-tip mode I and II stress intensity factors induced by ferroelectric domain switching are numerically obtained. The crack kinking in ferroelectric ceramics is also discussed.