ABSTRACT
The reason for validity of LEFM in these cases is because the plastic zone is very small and can be neglected. The rupture phenomenon is called brittle fracture in which fast fracture occurs. If the temperature in metals rises and if loading exceeds beyond a limit then the plastic zone becomes increasingly significant, and we cannot apply LEFM to study the fracture phenomena. In this case elastic-plastic fracture mechanic (EPFM) occurs.
