Study of Mode I-II Mixed Crack Propagation in Electrofusion Joint of Polyethylene Pipe

Electrofusion joint plays an important role in connecting polyethylene (PE) pipe. In our previous study, penetrating crack failure through the fitting with an angle of about 70° was observed, and axial stress was found to be an important factor in the crack propagation. In this paper, experiments were carried out to study the crack propagation phenomena of the electrofusion joint of PE pipe. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method was used to measure the displacement on specimen’s surface, as well as full-field strain distribution, based on which the J-integral of the crack tip was calculated. Besides, a finite element numerical simulation was conducted, and its accuracy was verified by experimental J-integral value. Through combination of experimental observations and finite element method, the phenomenon that the angle between crack propagation direction and tube axial is about 70° is detailed analysed. By comparison and analysis of the testing results, critical J-integral value during crack propagation is determined. Furthermore, critical J-integral value of crack propagation in electrofusion joint is predicted.