Damage Thermodynamics of Quasibrittle Materials
  The description of the early stage of microfracture growth in a quasibrittle solid with thermodynamic positions is considered. From the most general thermodynamic performances the "principle" of minimization of free energy is received. The account high (down to thirds) degrees in expansion of free energy concerning parameters of a mechanical field and average microcrack energy has allowed to write down the state equation for solids with microcracks, to find equilibrium and nonequilibrium values of their average energy. From positions of a developed formalism the reason of high stability of work developments on small depths and mechanism of loss of their stability on the large depths is explained. From the fact of presence of qualitatively various behaviour of a material on the large depths the additional estimated connection between parameters of the theory is established. 
Leonid S. Metlov (Donetsk Institute of Physics and Engineering of   National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine)