Features of the development of microcracks in solids

Despite numerous experimental and theoretical studies, the problem of the destruction of solids remains unresolved. In this paper, crack formation processes in a thin film of ferromagnetic powder were experimentally investigated. The dried powdery film was placed in an electron microscope column and the destruction of the powder layer during electron irradiation with an energy of 75 keV was studied. Due to the rapid heating under the action of an electron beam, the processes of structural and phase transformations occur in a thin film. The resulting microcracks interact with each other and the crack formation begins to acquire a collective character. A recurrent equation is obtained for the process of destruction of a thin film. It is shown that the destruction of microscopic solids and the formation of microcracks is self-similar (fractal).