Rising Crack-Growth-Resistance (R-Curve) Behavior of Toughened Alumina and Silicon Nitride |
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Authors: | Nageswaran Ramachandran Dinesh K Shetty |
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Affiliation: | Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 |
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Abstract: | R -curves for a sinter/HIPed SiC(whisker)-reinforced alumina and a sintered silicon nitride were assessed by direct measurements of lengths of cracks associated with Vickers indentation flaws. The fracture toughness measurements based on (a) initial (as-indented) crack lengths, (b) equilibrium growth of cracks during increasing far-field loading, and (c) crack lengths corresponding to unstable fracture showed definitive trends of R -curves for both materials. The fracture mechanics analyses employed an indenter-material constant that was independently estimated using a physical model for the residual driving force and a free surface correction factor that accounted for the effects of size and shape of the cracks on stress intensity. It is shown that R -curve estimations based on crack length measurements have the intrinsic advantage that crack length dependence of fracture toughness is not assumed a priori as is done in conventional analysis based on strength. The measured fracture toughness of SiC(whisker)-reinforced alumina was in agreement with the prediction of a toughening model based on crack bridging by partially debonded whiskers. |
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Keywords: | alumina silicon nitride crack growth resistance R-curve toughness |
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