Mechanical Behaviour of Materials (Part - II)

Prof. Sudhanshu Shekhar Singh

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

Lecture - 06
Plastic zone size

Hello everyone, welcome back to our course on Mechanical Behavior of Materials part II. So, in
the last lecture we discussed about the development of triaxial stress condition in front of the notch
ok. And we also discussed that this is this happened because, you want to maintain the continuity
along the other directions right because 𝜎𝑦𝑦 or 𝜎11 decreases as you move away from the notch tip
ok.

And then we also discussed about how the a stress varies in front of the notch tip in plane stress
and plane strain condition and we figured out that in plane strain condition you have triaxiality in
front of the notch tip and in plane stress condition you are having biaxial stress condition in front
of the notch tip ok. So, today we will discuss more about this where we will include small scale
yielding in front of the notch tip and then we will come to a topic on plastic zone size determination
ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 01:33)

So, let us proceed. So, we are talking about triaxiality ok. So, let us now add plasticity right so,
small scale yielding. So, we know that if the tip is sharp and there is a small scale yielding there is
a local plasticity, then crack tip is going to get blunted right we discussed that before also. So, if
you are in plane strain condition say less plane stress condition ok.
So, we will now apply the tresca criteria for yielding which has been discussed in part 1. So, the
tresca criteria says you have

𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝜎𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝜎𝑦

where 𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 and 𝜎𝑚𝑖𝑛 are principle stresses maximum principle stresses and minimum principle
stresses and 𝜎𝑦 is your yield strength ok.

Now we also know when we are talking about the crack plane remember I mentioned that we will
mostly deal with the crack plane phenomena ok. So, in the crack plane since there is no shear stress
I mentioned before that the stresses whatever you are seeing those are principle stresses right.

So, the 𝜎11 , 𝜎22 those are principle stresses in the or on the crack plane ok. So, sigma max we can
write 𝜎11 and then sigma min is 𝜎33 equal to sigma y right. So, if my direction was 𝜎11 , 𝜎22alright
ok 11 along vertical direction and 2 2 along this direction ok and since this is plane stress condition
𝜎33 is equal to 0. So, this equation it will be now 𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 ok.

So, this says that as soon as my 𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 tresca criteria is valid right; that means, your material is
going to yield as soon as 𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 ok.

So, if you see the plot. So, suppose we have the condition ok. So, this is what we have right. So,
𝜎11 varies like this we know ok. So, now, at the crack tip in front of the crack tip as soon as
𝜎11 becomes 𝜎𝑦 your material is going to yield that is the yielding criteria predicted by tresca right.
So, 𝜎𝑦𝑦 say will be somewhere here a 𝜎𝑦 yield point ok. So, at this particular point your material
is going to yield.

So, if you are above that yielding has already occurred till now we were assuming it to be perfectly
elastic. So, it was like elastic body weight now as soon as we are talking about small scale yielding
and 𝜎11 > 𝜎𝑦 your material is going to yield ok. Now if I assume that you know your material is
perfectly plastic and if you remember what was the definition for perfectly plastic material that if
I have sigma and epsilon sigma becomes like this right.

So, 𝜎 is constant with respect to strain. So, this is your perfect plastic right. If I assume right see
we are making lots of assumption because we want to come to some relationship right. So, one of
the assumption here is that we are assuming it to be perfectly plastic.

So, if you assume that then your curve is going to become something like this ok. So, the variation
of 𝜎11 due to a small scale yielding in front of the crack tip you know it varies like this where you
have 𝜎𝑦 it becomes constant up to certain distance and then it goes down and this is happening
because there is a small scale yielding and tresca criteria validity is there and we are also assuming
perfect plastic material ok.

If there is strain hardening then obviously, it is going to be higher than 𝜎𝑦 right your curve is going
to have some slope like this, it is not going to be perfectly plastic. So, it is not going to be horizontal
right, but for this 1 we will assume that it is to be perfect plastic material and the variation of 𝜎𝑦 is
going to be something like this. So, this is your plane stress condition where the minimum stress
is 0 ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 07:25)

Now, let us talk about the plane strain condition. So, let us apply again the tresca criteria. So,

𝜎11 − 𝜎22 = 𝜎𝑦 for yielding or we can write 𝜎11 = 𝜎22 + 𝜎𝑦 .

Now let us see what we got for plane stress if I am just writing here on the side now. So, plane
stress we obtain that yielding is going to happen when 𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 we just discussed it right. So, this
is yielding and for plane stress and for plane strain we are getting 𝜎11 = 𝜎22 + 𝜎𝑦 .

So, it means that the plane strain condition is going to suppress yielding is not it? Because in the
plain stress condition you required only 𝜎𝑦 for yielding to occur now here you have another factor
of 𝜎22 which needs to be there so, that the material can yield ok. So, overall if you see in plane
strain condition yielding is been suppressed ok why because you have another factor of 𝜎22 in
addition to 𝜎𝑦 right.

So, you require higher amount of stress for material to yield ok. So, that is observation number 1.
Now second observation if you see the plane stress condition plane stress condition the yielding
criteria is going to be similar to what we have discussed for uniaxial loading ok right because in
plane stress we have 𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 and that is what we have discussed in tensile testing is it not that
as soon as the stress becomes equal to yield point or yield stress your material is going to yield.

In plane stress condition yielding condition is similar to the uniaxial condition, but in plane strain
condition you have another factor of 𝜎22 . So, you require higher amount of stress more than the
yield point right during this ok. This is what we have in terms of the triaxiality in front of the crack
tip ok. So, now, what we will discuss? We will discuss about the determination of plastic zone ok.
So, as soon as you have small scale yielding in front of the crack tip you are going to have plasticity
and that will lead to certain amount of plastic zone ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 11:28)

So, we are going to determine the shape and size of the plastic zone plastic zone shape and size
ok. So, we start with purely elastic method then we will come to Irwin’s approach where there will
be some correction with respect to what we will obtain for purely elastic metal plastic zone size
𝑘
ok. So, if you remember 𝜎11 = 1 𝑓(𝜃) at crack plane. So, now, I am talking about mode one.
√2𝜋𝑟
So, that is why I am using I am using k 1 ok.

For plane stress condition. So, let us apply that tresca criteria and we will apply again on the crack
plane ok. So, it suggests 𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝜎𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 𝜎𝑦 again sigma here is the principal stresses. So, at the
crack plane we have whatever we are getting right at the crack plane the shear stress is 0. So, the
stresses 𝜎11 , 𝜎22 and they will become principle stresses right.

So, here 𝜎33 = 0 because it is plane stress condition. So, this goes as 0 and 𝜎11 is sigma max. So,
what you are getting is, 𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 we just derived this the same thing ok. So, yielding is going to
occur in plane stress condition as soon as 𝜎11 becomes equal to 𝜎𝑦 now let me put the above
equation as 1 ok. So, now, let us put 𝜎11 equal to 𝜎𝑦 in equation 1 ok.

So, from equation 1 we can write

𝑘1 𝜃 𝜃 3𝜃
𝜎11 = 𝜎𝑦 = cos 2 (1 + sin 2 sin )
√2𝜋𝑟 2

And at the crack plane this whole term 𝑓(𝜃) will be equal to 1 at the crack tip right because 𝜃 =0
again remember from our previous discussion this is your crack plane where 𝜃 =0 . So, we can
write now
 𝑘1
𝜎𝑦 = .
√2𝜋𝑟

So, we have to find out what is r and that is going to be your plastic zone size is it not at the crack
plane ok. So, the r will be now or let us call it r y now,
1 𝑘
plastic zone size in plane stress 𝑟𝑦 = 2𝜋 (𝜎1 )2
𝑦

So, this becomes your 𝑟𝑦 which is your plastic zone size in plane stress ok; that means, if I have
this notch here. So, from our previous discussion we found out that 𝜎𝑦𝑦 is going to vary something
like this right. So, this is your 𝜎𝑦 or 𝜎11 is going to vary like this. So, this here this length is your𝑟1
ok. So, if the stress is above this; that means, and assuming we are again assuming it to be perfectly
plastic right.

So, this particular region your material is deforming plastically. So, that is your plastic zone size.
So, this is 𝑟𝑦 and if the stress is above that, it is not going to deform right ok. So, this is in plane
stress condition and what will happen in plane strain condition? You know now that it is going to
require higher amount of stress than plain stress condition for yielding right.

(Refer Slide Time: 17:45)

So, for plane strain condition 𝜎11 = 𝜎22 + 𝜎𝑦 again this is at the crack plane. Remember we are
applying tresca criteria where the sigma is principal stresses and only at the crack plane you do not
have shear stress ok.

So, 𝜎11 and 𝜎22 automatically become principle stresses. So, it becomes very easy you know for all
the calculation purpose to use the crack plane because now you can apply very easily the tresca
criteria ok. So, 𝜎11 = 𝜎22 + 𝜎𝑦 . So, as soon as 𝜎11 becomes equal to 𝜎22 + 𝜎𝑦 your material is
going to yield and then you can calculate what is your plastic zone size.
So, if I just combine both plane stress and plane strain ok. So, originally if you remember our plot
was like this ok. So, this was our 𝜎11 now if I assume it to be plane stress condition is going to be
say something like this where this is 𝜎𝑦 ok. So, this is the profile for 𝜎11 for plane stress condition
ok. Now if I plane strain condition the material is going to yield when 𝜎11 is equal to 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎22.
So, assume that it is going to be higher than 𝜎𝑦 now.

So, assume that it is going to yield somewhere here and since we are again assuming the material
is perfectly plastic I am just drawing the horizontal line there ok. This particular plot the green 1
here ok. Now becomes the plots for 𝜎11 for plane strain condition ok now see the plastic zone size
qualitatively now. So, this is your plastic zone size if I just draw this. So, this green line here this
is your plastic zone size for plane strain condition because above inside this zone you are going to
have stresses which is higher than the 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎22

So, this particular point here is 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎22 . So, this is your plastic zone size in plane strain ok and
for plane stress you are going to have this particular thing right here. So, this is r y and this will be
plastic zone size in plain stress condition ok. So, you can qualitatively see if you have plane stress
condition your plastic zone size is higher than what you have in plane strain condition right you
can clearly see now right.

So, this implies plastic zone size is higher in plane stress condition than in plane strain condition
ok. So, this is one important conclusions from the derivative we have just done. The second is we
1
know ry we just calculated for plane stress this is 2𝜋 (𝑘1 /𝜎𝑦 )2 we just calculated this right similarly
we can write plane strain. So, just replace 𝜎𝑦 by 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎22 see on the top right or top left ok. So,for
Plane strain condition
1 𝑘1
𝑟𝑦 = 2𝜋 (𝜎 )2
𝑦 +𝜎22

Now, see if the material is known you know what is 𝜎𝑦 . If the configuration is known then you
know what is k1. So, for plane stress condition you can find out what is 𝑟𝑦 right. Now for plane
strain condition you need to know what is 𝜎22 here right to figure out what is 𝑟𝑦 and we are going
to calculate that right. We are going to assume something and then we will come to relationship
between 𝑟𝑦 and 𝜎𝑦 and k 1 for plane strain condition also.

Now, let us come to first the Irwin’s approach for calculation of plastic zone size. So, there is some
correction to it and I will let you know what is that correction ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 24:26)

So, Irwin’s approach ok. So, we have discussed this right. So, we have 𝜎11 originally without crack
tip yielding. Now we introduce crack tip yielding ok when we introduce crack tip yielding we got
a curve line this ok 𝜎11 and this ok. So, this is your crack tip yielding and this one we now know
it is r y depending upon the plane stress and plane strain this r y is going to change.

But this curve nature of the curve remains same ok. Now think about it what happened to this
shaded line now? So, we have reduced the curve assuming that this is behaving like perfectly
plastic, but this particular stress a shaded one this has to go somewhere it just cannot you know
vanish right.

So, if you see the previous curve was the red one ok the new curve for 𝜎11 is the blue one, but this
particular region the shaded region the purple color right it has just vanished and that cannot
happen practically right it has to go somewhere; that means, stress because of the yielding is going
to redistribute itself in the material ok.

So, after the material has yielded the shaded region is going to redistributed in the material itself
ok. This means that the blue curve here ok I am now just showing in the purple color.

So, this blue curve here now it is purple this is going to change because the stress the shaded region
stress is going to redistribute itself right ok. This also means that some part of it you know is going
to be higher than what we have now the value right. This also means that this r y the plastic zone
size is going to be higher now because the stress some of the stress in that shaded region has been
redistributed to the nearby region ahead of the crack tip.

So, originally my 𝜎11 was lower now because of the redistribution of the stress some addition has
occurred in the previous curve ok so; that means, some of the regions can again become higher
than sigma y the stress distribution; that means, it is going to yield. So, r y is going to be now higher
and that is what the correction given by Irwin now. So, you are going to have stress redistribution
shaded region of purple in the material you know when that happens you are going to have higher
plastic zone size.
So, this is your original 𝜎11 ok. Now when we have small scale yielding this is what we had got
before ok and because of the redistribution of stress we are going to have a new curve where some
of the regions ahead of the crack tip is further going to be observing higher amount of stress than
what we had previously and it is going to yield ok. So, you are going to have something like this
ok and this is happening because of redistribution of the stress ok.

The blue one was because of small scale yielding and the red one originally right original one no
yielding. So, you now understand how did we approach to this problem. We started with the no
yielding condition right that is what we had learned before then we introduced the small scale
yielding ok and we assume that the material is perfectly plastic. So, we got the blue curves right
then stress redistribution needs to be there.

So, now we got the purple curve for a plastic zone size determining ok and this is what the Irwin’s
approach. So, overall due to redistribution of stress which is the shaded region the plastic zone size
increases from r y to now r p ok.

So, let me show you r y and r p. So, this one is your r y and the purple one its for ok r p is greater
than r 1 ,r y you can clearly see now ok. So, this is valid for plane stress ok and the same would be
valid for plane strain also only thing is it will just go up ok and again remember in plane strain
condition since the redistribution is going to be smaller then r p is also going to be smaller.

(Refer Slide Time: 32:20)

Let me show you that by schematic. So, what I mean now. So, the stress distribution is 𝜎11 ok and
say 𝜎𝑦 is here ok. So, in the case of plane stress condition you had the to distribute you know this
shaded region right, but in the case of a plane strain condition suppose this is 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎22 for yielding
in plane strain condition ok. So, in plane strain condition you have to redistribute only the small
region right the shaded region.
So, the red one this shaded region this is needs to be redistributed in plane strain and the purple
colour one this needs to be redistributed in plane stress condition right.

So, the shaded region in the case of plane stress is higher than the plane strain condition right. So,
even after redistribution rp is going to be higher in plane stress condition than in plane strain
condition. So, previously we had figured out that ry in plane stress was higher than ry in plane strain
and even after correction r p is going to be higher in plane strain plane stress than in plane strain
1
condition ok this is after correction ok. So, we know what is 𝑟𝑦 = 2𝜋 (𝑘1 /𝜎𝑦 )2 .

But we do not know what is r p right. So, somehow if we can figure out how much stress it is being
redistributed and where it is being redistributed and if we can calculate then we should be able to
figure out what is r p ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 35:48)

So, let us do that. So, we need to now do calculation of r p which is plastic zone size after correction
after redistribution of stress ok. So, our new curve is like this ok after small scale yielding and this
region needs to be redistributed ok let us say that this is A ok. So, shaded area needs to be
redistributed ok and this area now
𝑟
𝐴 = ∫0 𝑦 𝜎11 𝑑𝑟 − 𝜎𝑦 𝑟𝑦

So, what I am doing if you see initially had right. So, I am so, this is also 𝜎11 this is also again the
bottom one is also𝜎11 , one is for after consolidation of small scale yielding and one is there is no
consolidation and we know this 𝜎𝑦𝑦 we have calculated that using Irwin’s approximation ok. So,
what I am doing? I am subtracting the overall area ok with the bottom one. So, if this is r y.

So, if I denote this say number I and number II. So, number I is the green shaded ok and number
II is purple one ok. So, this is this area is purple region and this is green region ok to calculate the
green region we are integrating it from 0 to r y right that particular term 𝜎11 𝑑𝑟 and then subtracting
this area with the purple shaded region which is a rectangle that is 𝜎𝑦 𝑟𝑦 .

We have
𝑟 𝑟 𝐾1
𝐴 = ∫0 𝑦 𝜎11 𝑑𝑟 − 𝜎𝑦 𝑟𝑦 = ∫0 𝑦 𝑑𝑟 − 𝜎𝑦 𝑟𝑦
√2𝜋𝑟

And Since it is in crack plane all 𝜃 term is going to be 0 and using this
1
𝑟𝑦 = 2𝜋 (𝑘1 /𝜎𝑦 )2 .

On solving above equation and by using value of 𝑟𝑦 we can write

𝑘12
𝐴 = 2𝜋𝜎
𝑦

Now, this redistribution whatever is happening needs to be in the area which is shown on the top
image you can see here let me change the color now something else let us see black ok. So, this
black shaded region ok. So, whatever redistribution is happening this needs to happen in the black
region and this is 𝜎𝑦 ok and let us say this is lambda ok. So, what is the area of the black region
now?

𝜎𝑦 × 𝛬. So, now, the A which we have just calculated that should be equal to 𝜎𝑦 × 𝛬 for
redistribution to occur ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 43:26)

Let us do that. So , A should be equal to 𝜎𝑦 × 𝛬 .

 𝑘12
𝐴 = 𝜎𝑦 × 𝛬= 2𝜋𝜎𝑦

𝑘12
Hence 𝛬 = 2𝜋𝜎 2
𝑦

What do you think this expression is? This is same as r y is it not it? So, it is same as r y interesting
right. So, lambda is equal to r y now what is r p? If you see r p now I am on the top left this is r p
right and r p is what? So, r p = r y + 𝛬. So, r p now will be 2 r y.

So, even after redistribution you know the what you have to do? You know what is r y you have to
just multiply it by 2. So, it becomes double. So, r p is now twice of r y after redistribution and that
is what Irwin proposed. So,
1
𝑟𝑝 = 𝜋 (𝑘1 /𝜎𝑦 )2 .

So, now, we have corrected r y figured out what is r p which is the correct expression. So, very well
valid for plane stress condition right because in plane stress this 𝜎𝑦 is there, but now in plane strain
condition 𝜎𝑦 will be replaced by 𝜎22 + 𝜎𝑦 that is when we talked about the separation yielding
separation right.

So, we have to figure out what is 𝜎22 . So, let us do some more approximation and figure out what
is 𝜎22 and overall, you will see that r p in plane strain condition we can give in terms of k1 and 𝜎𝑦
itself ok.

(Refer Slide Time: 46:28)

So, plane strain condition now assume that 𝜎22 at the crack tip is not 0 right and in the crack plane
𝑘
if you remember the Irwin derivation we had done all theta term will be off right and 𝜎11 = 1 =
√2𝜋𝑟
𝜎22 ; that means, 𝜎11 equal to 𝜎22 in front of the crack tip.
Again, we are assuming now that 𝜎22 is not going to be 0 at the surface right because if that is the
case 𝜎11 can never be 𝜎22 , but we are just assuming so, that we can reach to some conclusions ok.
For plane strain condition we know 𝜎33 = 𝜗(𝜎11 + 𝜎22 ) = 2𝜗(𝜎11 ) and if we assume 𝜗 = 1/3
2
𝜎33 = 3 𝜗(𝜎11 )

Let us apply the tresca criteria 𝜎11 − 𝜎33 = 𝜎𝑦 now here we are taking 𝜎33 instead of 𝜎22 what we
had been taking because now we are saying that 𝜎11 = 𝜎22 .So, 𝜎11 is the maximum 𝜎22 is also
higher than 𝜎33 , 𝜎22 the minimum is 𝜎33 now in this particular case again there are some
assumptions in this case right.
2
So, we can write 𝜎11 and 𝜎33 is 3 𝜎11 ok. So, if we assume that you know that 𝜎22 is not 0 at the
crack surface right then 𝜎11 for yielding is coming out to be 𝜎𝑦 right and if you do not assume then
it is it was 𝜎𝑦 + 𝜎22 So, after assumption using the tresca criteria we are able to figure out that
𝜎11 is 3𝜎𝑦 ok.

So, this is the yielding ok. So, as soon as 𝜎11 becomes 3𝜎𝑦 your material is going to yield and you
can safely now calculate what is plastic zone size right. So, what I am saying is. So, this is your
𝜎11 . So, as soon as 𝜎11 becomes 3𝜎𝑦 in this case your material is going to yield and your curve is
will be something like this and this is your r y right below this r y you are going to have yielding of
the material again it is a perfectly plastic. So, it becomes flat, if it is a strain hardening then it is
going to go up ok.

For plane strain condition(Tresca critrion) 𝜎11 is 3𝜎𝑦 . So,

1
𝑟𝑦 = 18𝜋 (𝐾1/𝜎𝑦 )2

(Refer Slide Time: 52:01)

 1 𝐾1
So, in plane strain we figure out 𝑟𝑦 = 18𝜋 ( 𝜎 )2 . But they were approximations right that 𝜎22 is
𝑦
also higher and it will be equivalent to 𝜎11 right, but that is not the reality 𝜎22 is going to be 0 at
the crack tip right.

So, that effect will be felt at some place ahead of the crack tip right because 𝜎22 is much lower
than what we have assumed right and that is what people have calculated and they have come up
with that 𝜎11 is not equal to actually 3𝜎𝑦 because of the 𝜎22 being 0 at the crack tip right it is going
to be much lower than 3𝜎𝑦 and they have calculated that to be √3𝜎𝑦 ok.

So, because of 𝜎22 being 0 right 𝜎11 is going to be less than 3𝜎𝑦 and it has been calculated that
𝜎11 . In fact, √3𝜎𝑦 . So, instead of 3𝜎𝑦 it is 1.732 𝜎𝑦 ok and this is happening because 𝜎22 is equal
to 0 at the crack tip. So, the stress will be lower ok. So, overall
1 𝐾1
𝑟𝑦 = 6𝜋 ( 𝜎 )2.
𝑦

Let me write it down again because 6 is not visible clearly ok. So, we have calculated the plastic
zone sites for both the cases a plane stress and plane strain condition.

(Refer Slide Time: 54:52)

Let me summarize these two r y and r p

Plane Stress Plane Strain

ry 1 1
(𝐾1/𝜎𝑦 )2. 6𝜋
(𝐾1/𝜎𝑦 )2.
2𝜋
 r p(2 ry ) 1 1
(𝐾1/𝜎𝑦 )2. (𝐾1/𝜎𝑦 )2.
𝜋 3𝜋

So, this is your solution after correction given by Irwin ok.

So, now, let me stop here in the next lecture we will start with the shape of the plastic zone. So,
till now we have calculated the size of the plastic zone remember again on the crack plane ok. Now
what happens if it is not on the crack plane and r and theta varies right? So, we are going to do that
in the next class ok so.

Thank you.