An experimental study was conducted to investigate the fracture mode and fracture criterion in tearing mode (Mode III). The fracture mode in the deformation of Mode III was classified into two types: normal type and shear type. The former is induced by the maximum tensile stress near the notch tip, (σ
T)
tip, and the latter by shear strain near the notch tip.
Circumferentially notched round bars (CNRB) fabricated from polymethylmethacrylate, cast iron and cast steel were loaded to fracture under torsion. It was found that the stress intensity factor in Mode III at which the normal type fracture initiates,
KIIIc, is about 2.5 times higher than the fracture toughness in opening mode (Mode I),
KIc.
In parallel with this, (σ
T)
tip of CNRB under torsion (Mode III) and under tension (Mode I) was analyzed elasto-plastically with the aid of finite element method. For the value of (σ
T)
tip, the corresponding stress intensity factor in Mode III,
KIII, is greater than that in Mode I,
KI. This is because the constraint to plastic flow in Mode III is much lower than that in Mode I. This numerical result demonstrates that
KIIIc is greater than
KIc, assuming that the normal type fracture initiates when (σ
T)
tip reaches the critical value.
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