R&D on phase-field modelling of environmentally assisted fracture: pitting corrosion, hydrogen permeation, and the numerical implementation that ties them to a mechanical field.
Workstreams
- Phase-field modelling of pit propagation, and comparison of the phase-field and CAFE models
- A microstructure mapping algorithm applied to the mesh of the models studied, inside the phase-field crack propagation calculation
- Study of the different routes for applying phase field to hydrogen permeation in metals
- An Abaqus user element subroutine (UEL) for environmentally assisted fracture (stress corrosion cracking plus hydrogen embrittlement) built on the phase-field formalism, capturing the transition from a pit to a crack
- An experimental setup to validate the model: a four-point bending rig immersed with a single exposed control surface of 1 cm²
![Figure 1 - Illustrative phase-field variable φ for a pit growing into a crack across a grain structure, at three stages, extracted from [1]](/assets/pf-scc-microstructure.png)
Figure 1 - Illustrative phase-field variable φ for a pit growing into a crack across a grain structure, at three stages, extracted from [1]
References
[1] « A microstructure-sensitive electro-chemo-mechanical phase-field model of pitting and stress corrosion cracking ». Consulté le: 9 septembre 2026. [En ligne]. Disponible sur: https://arxiv.org/html/2403.20301v1