Current Understanding on Fracture Behaviors of Ferroelectric/Piezoelectric Materials

The current understanding on fracture behaviors of ferroelectric/piezoelectric materials are reviewed in this article. Two main obstacles in understanding such fracture behaviors are discussed: (i) the selection of electric boundary condition on crack faces and (ii) the near-tip domain switching or nonlinear zone. Some previous controversial results in theoretical studies and experimental observations are also discussed here; particularly, the inherent load-dependence of the variable tendencies of the crack tip energy release rate against the applied electric field, on the applied mechanical loading level found recently, which reveals that the applied mechanical loading does significantly influence the role played by the applied electric field in piezoelectric fracture.