Oxygen diffusion in a functionally graded material with cracks using a novel probability distribution for varying parameters

Abstract The elastic modulus profile of a functionally graded material (FGM) is additionally affected by oxygen diffusion. In contrast to earlier work, the reacting material is decreasing in concentration toward the oxygen‐exposed surface, so the rule used to model the elastic modulus is adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, the original distribution function is replaced by a smoother one with similar properties. The resulting oxidation model, including an appropriate fracture toughness rule, is used to calculate critical loads for a set of three parallel edge cracks in the half plane. These loads are then checked against the model without oxygen diffusion.