Interface crack growth for anisotropic plasticity with non-normality effects

A plasticity model with a non-normality plastic flow rule is used to analyze crack growth along an interface between a solid with plastic anisotropy and an elastic substrate. The fracture process is represented in terms of a traction-separation law specified on the crack plane. A phenomenological elastic–viscoplastic material model is applied, using an anisotropic yield criterion, and in each case analyzed the effect of non-normality is compared with results for the standard normality flow rule. Due to the mismatch of elastic properties across the interface the corresponding elastic solution has an oscillating stress singularity, and with conditions of small scale yielding this solution is applied as boundary conditions on the outer edge of the region analyzed. Crack growth resistance curves are calculated numerically, and the effect of the near-tip mode mixity on the steady-state fracture toughness is determined. It is found that the steady-state fracture toughness is quite sensitive to differences in the initial orientation of the principal axes of the anisotropy relative to the interface.