A Review on Phase-Field Models Applied to Fracture in Solids

In circumstances with complicated crack topologies, computer modelling of fracture processes in solids that consider cracks as sharp discontinuities are found to be inadequate. It is possible to address this by a diffusive approximation of cracks based on a crack phase-field introduction. The phase-field model (PFM) thus presents a diffusive representation of fracture geometry that avoids abrupt discontinuities. The advantage of such a model over models having discrete descriptions of cracks is that numerical monitoring of discontinuities is no longer needed. The complexity of implementation is substantially reduced as a result of this. These features allow PFM to describe crack propagation more efficiently, especially for complicated crack patterns, as compared to numerical approaches based on a discrete crack model. These methods have also been shown capable of predicting fracture initiation and propagation in two and three dimensions without requiring any additional criteria. The phase-field model is a promising alternative to sharp crack models as it can cope with complicated crack patterns. Crack merging, fragmentation, and also branching patterns are successfully predicted by this model. An effort has been made to provide a brief overview of the phase-field model in the prediction of solid fractures and to concentrate on certain recent studies on the subject. We also present several noteworthy findings as well as suggestions for future research topics in this subject.