Fracture Behavior of Cracked Giant Magnetostrictive Materials in Three-Point Bending under Magnetic Fields: Strain Energy Density Criterion

In this paper, the fracture behavior of cracked giant magnetostrictive materials has been investigated both numerically and experimentally. Works in literature have been revisited, focusing on iron and rare-earth alloys, such as Terfenol-D. Three-point bending tests have been carried out on precracked specimens and the fracture loads have been measured in the presence and absence of a magnetic field. Recent studies on local stress fields in proximity of crack tips have shown that the Strain Energy Density (SED) can be a robust parameter in the brittle fracture assessment. Coupled-field finite element analyses have then been performed and the effect of the magnetic field on Terfenol-D fracture resistance has been discussed in terms of Energy Release Rate and averaged SED.