Inverse problems of material distributions for prescribed apparent fracture toughness in FGM coatings around a circular hole in infinite elastic media

This study is concerned with the inverse problem of calculating material distributions intending to realize prescribed apparent fracture toughness in functionally graded material (FGM) coatings around a circular hole in infinite elastic media. The incompatible eigenstrain induced in the FGM coatings after cooling from the sintering temperature, due to mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion, is taken into consideration. An approximation method of determining stress intensity factors is introduced for a crack in the FGM coatings in which the FGM coatings are homogenized simulating the nonhomogeneous material properties by a distribution of equivalent eigenstrain. A radial edge crack emanating from the circular hole in the homogenized coatings is considered for the case of a uniform pressure applied to the surfaces of the hole and the crack. The stress intensity factors determined for the crack in the homogenized coatings represent the approximate values of the stress intensity factors for the same crack in the FGM coatings, and are used in the inverse problem of calculating material distributions in the FGM coatings intending to realize prescribed apparent fracture toughness in the coatings. Numerical results are obtained for a TiC/Al2O3 FGM coating, which reveal that the apparent fracture toughness in FGM coatings around a circular hole in infinite elastic media can be controlled within possible limits by choosing an appropriate material distribution profile in the coatings. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.