Predicting the merging of disperse defects

Three models of the merging of disperse cracks in the volume and on the surface of materials are discussed. Equations for the probability of the merging of any size of cracks are derived on the basis of two models. Crack-length distributions and the numeric characteristics of these distributions alone are utilized in the first and second models, respectively. A third model determines the probability of the merging of a crack of maximum length with any nearby crack. The relationships obtained can be used to predict the merging of accumulated defects on the basis of number and size, and also with respect to time.