Crack root radius effect on stress fields under nonlinear

The influence of crack root radius and plastic material properties on the crack tip fields was evaluated by strain gradient plasticity theory, and classical plasticity theory. A conventional mechanism-based strain gradient (CMSG) plasticity theory was used in the study. The stress fields in single edge tension specimen are investigated numerically for a wide range of the crack tip radius variations. Five values of the crack tip curvature radius ρ = 0 (mathematical notch); ρ = 25 nm, ρ = 30 nm, ρ = 60 nm and ρ = 100 nm were investigated. The strain hardening exponent varied from N = 0.075 to N = 0.4. A stress analysis by CMSG plasticity was performed for two values of the Taylor's length parameter l = 1μm and l = 10μm. The boundaries of the local areas, where the influence of the crack tip radius is realized were determined for both HRR and CMSG plasticity. The sizes of the dominance area of the strain gradient plasticity were established and their approximation equations were presented. The influence of the plastic properties and the Taylor's length scale parameter on the stress fields in the vicinity of rhe crack tip was estimated for the strain gradient plasticity.