ABSTRACT
Fracture is defined as the separation of a part into two or more pieces. It can result
from a purely mechanical effect such as an applied or a residual stress, or from a
combination of mechanical and environmental effects. Problems related to frac-
ture have a wide scope, ranging from catastrophic failure of structures and
machine parts to processes occurring on the submicroscopic scale and leading
to separation of atomic planes within the crystals. In this chapter, emphasis is
placed upon fracture related to purely mechanical effects. Environmentally
assisted fracture is discussed in Chap. 9.
