Open Access

REVIEW

Phase Field Simulation of Fracture Behavior in Shape Memory Alloys and Shape Memory Ceramics: A Review

Junhui Hua¹, Junyuan Xiong², Bo Xu^1,*, Chong Wang¹, Qingyuan Wang¹

1 Failure Mechanics and Engineering Disaster Prevention Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
2 Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials Mechanical Behavior and Service Safety, School of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China

* Corresponding Author: Bo Xu. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Computational Modeling of Mechanical Behavior of Advanced Materials)

Computers, Materials & Continua 2025, 85(1), 65-88. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmc.2025.068226

Received 23 May 2025; Accepted 11 July 2025; Issue published 29 August 2025

Abstract

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) and shape memory ceramics (SMCs) exhibit high recovery ability due to the martensitic transformation, which complicates the fracture mechanism of SMAs and SMCs. The phase field method, as a powerful numerical simulation tool, can efficiently resolve the microstructural evolution, multi-field coupling effects, and fracture behavior of SMAs and SMCs. This review begins by presenting the fundamental theoretical framework of the fracture phase field method as applied to SMAs and SMCs, covering key aspects such as the phase field modeling of martensitic transformation and brittle fracture. Subsequently, it systematically examines the phase field simulations of fracture behaviors in SMAs and SMCs, with particular emphasis on how crystallographic orientation, grain size, and grain boundary properties influence the crack propagation. Additionally, the interplay between martensite transformation and fracture mechanisms is analyzed to provide deeper insights into the material responses under mechanical loading. Finally, the review explores future prospects and emerging trends in phase field simulations of SMA and SMC fracture behavior, along with potential advancements in the fracture phase field method itself, including multi-physics coupling and enhanced computational efficiency for large-scale simulations.

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Keywords

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