Micro and macro phenomena of fracture

Abstract

Origins and phenomena of fracture are manifold. The reason for this can be found in the fact that the phenomena are predominantly determined by the microscopic properties of a material which in turn vary extensively from material to material. In this book, emphasis is placed on a continuum-mechanical description of macroscopic fracture behavior. Nevertheless, it is beneficial to have a certain understanding of microscopic events. Therefore, both microscopic and macroscopic aspects are briefly discussed in this chapter. The former have only exemplary character and focus on phenomena in crystalline or polycrystalline materials which includes the large class of metals.