SELINGER RLB, WANG ZG, Gelbart WM, Benshaul A.
STATISTICAL-THERMODYNAMIC APPROACH TO FRACTURE. PHYSICAL REVIEW A. 1991;43 :4396-4400.
AbstractWe present a statistical-thermodynamic theory that associates fracture of a solid with the approach of a spinodal upon increasing stress. This formulation is illustrated by a one-dimensional model, and the temperature dependence of the nonlinear stress-strain relation and fracture stress is obtained. A two-dimensional network model is treated by both effective-medium theory and Monte Carlo simulations, showing metastability and the nucleation of microcracks.
1991.rlb_et_al._pra.pdf