CRITERIA OF FRACTURE INITIATION AT HYDRIDES IN ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS .2. SHALLOW NOTCH

A general theoretical framework for DHC initiation, described in part I, is applied to the case of a shallow notch under tensile stress. A s imple method of calculating the notch tip stress profile and the maxim um normal stress sigma(yy)max that was developed previously is used to estimate the critical hydride length for DHC initiation. Comparison o f the theoretical predictions of crack initiation with experimental da ta shows good agreement. It is suggested that a complete theoretical p rediction of DHC initiation at blunt notches would require a combinati on of the proposed fracture criterion combined with the solution of a diffusion calculation.