An analysis of the interaction between a triple junction wedge crack and pile-ups of grain boundary dislocations was used to investigate crack nucleation. By means of numerical solutions of a system of integral equations, rearrangement of dislocations and stress redistribution due to crack formation were fully taken into account. Under remote tension conditions, numerical results were obtained for the stress intensity factors, the dislocation populations on the grain boundaries, and the equilibrium crack lengths. The dependence of crack length and crack stability upon grain-boundary orientation and pile-up length was investigated.

Interaction of Wedge Crack and Grain Boundary Dislocations. M.S.Wu, M.D.He: International Journal of Solids and Structures, 1998, 35[31-32], 4337-50