ABSTRACT
The global method for tearing energy analysis is used in practice as a conventional Tear Fatigue Analysis (TFA). The idea is based on the energy approach of Griffith for elastic materials [Griffith 1921] and was extended by Rivlin & Thomas [1952]. According to this theory, the tearing energy is the energy which leads to building of a new crack surface and can be estimated as
T dW bdc l const
= −
. (1)
here T-tearing energy; W-elastic energy; bthickness of specimen; dc-crack growth step; ldeformed sample height. The fundamental assumption is that the tearing energy is equivalent to the change of elastic energy during crack propagation.
