Energy-based assessment of brittle fracture in VO-notched polymer specimens under combined compression-shear loading conditions

This research presents some experimental, numerical, and theoretical results on brittle fracture of disk-type test specimens weakened by V-notches with end-holes under mixed mode I/II loading with negative mode I contributions. First, 54 fracture tests are conducted on VO-notched Brazilian disk specimens made of the general-purpose polystyrene under mixed mode I/II loading with negative mode I contributions. Then, two energy-based brittle fracture criteria, namely the averaged strain energy density and averaged strain energy density based on the equivalent factor concept are proposed to predict the experimentally obtained fracture loads of the tested general-purpose polystyrene specimens. Additionally, the fracture initiation angles of the tested VO-notched Brazilian disk specimens are predicted by using averaged strain energy density criterion. The finite element analyses, as well as the experimental observations, show that although brittle fracture in the specimens under mixed mode I/II loading takes place from the applied load side of the notch border by local tensile stresses, the notch bisector line and the other sides of the notch border sustain compressive stresses. In fact, this phenomenon states the concept of mixed mode I/II loading with negative mode I contributions. Finally, it is shown that good agreement exists between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions of the two energy-based fracture criteria.