Singular crack-tip fields for pressure sensitive plastic solids

Plain strain mode-I singular plastic fields are examined for cracks embedded in pressure sensitive solids. Material response is described by a small strain deformation theory in conjunction with elliptic yield criterion and plastic potential. Non-associativity is accounted for and a pure power law is assumed to characterize strain hardening. The material does not admit a strain energy function hence it is not possible to deducea-priori theJ-integral motivated stress singularities. A standard separation of variables representation of near-tip eigenfunctions has been evaluated numerically, over a range of material parameters. It has been found that stress singularities may deviate fromJ-integral predictions, with increasing non-associativity, by up to nearly 20%. Sample illustrations are provided for singular field profiles and some aspects of pressure sensitive non- associated plasticity are discussed.