Fracture Toughness Measurement of Glass and Ceramic Materials Using Chevron-Notched Specimens

Fracture toughness of several different materials was measured using chevronnotched short bar and four-point bend specimens For glass-ceramic and ceramic samples both specimens gave valid results. Fracture toughness values measured with bend specimens are 5% to 10% higher compared to those of the short bar. Consistent results for glass could be obtained only with short bar specimens. The notch width of the bend specimen affected the stability of crack growth in glass samples. Fracture toughness values measured in the present study are in good agreement with those of the previous studies.     

Mixed-Mode Fracture Toughness of Ceramic Materials

An experimental technique whereby pure mode I, mode II, and combined mode I-mode II fracture toughness values of ceramic materials can be determined using four-point bend specimens containing sharp, through-thickness precracks is discussed. In this method, notched and fatigue-precracked specimens of brittle solids are subjected to combined mode I-mode II and pure mode II fracture under asymmetric four-point bend loading and to pure mode I under symmetric bend loading. A detailed finite element analysis of the test specimen is performed to obtain stress intensity factor calibrations for a wide range of loading states. The effectiveness of this method to provide reproducible combined mode I-mode II fracture toughness values is demonstrated with experimental results obtained for a polycrystalline Al₂O₃. Multiaxial fracture mechanics of the Al₂O₃ ceramic in combined modes I, II, and III are also described in conjunction with the recent experimental study of Suresh and Tschegg (1987). While the mode II fracture toughness of the alumina ceramic is comparable to the mode I fracture toughness K _Ic, the mode III fracture initiation toughness is 2.3 times higher than K _Ic. The predictions of fracture toughness and crack path based on various mixed-mode fracture theories are critically examined in the context of experimental observations, and possible effects of fracture abrasion on the apparent mixed-mode fracture resistance are highlighted. The significance and implications of the experimental methods used in this study are evaluated in the light of available techniques for multiaxial fracture testing of brittle solids.     

Evaluation of Fracture Toughness for Ceramic Materials by a Single-Edge-Precracked-Beam Method

As a substitute for the fatigue-cracked-beam method prescribed in ASTM E399 A2, a recently devised precracking method was applied to the evaluation of fracture toughness of ceramic materials. Straight-through precracks proved to be easily introduced into rectangular beams of several ceramic materials. This method gives K_ic values almost identical with those of the fatigue-cracked-beam method. The K_ic values are almost constant over wide ranges of the pop-in precrack length and the loading rate of the three-point bend test. The test can be easily performed even at elevated temperatures although its validity should be further examined.     

Fracture Toughness of Ceramic Precracked Bend Bars

Fracture toughness was measured for four ceramic materials using precracked bend bar specimens. The effect of the precracking parameters, used for the bridge indentation method on fracture toughness values, was determined. Excellent agreement was obtained between fracture toughness values measured by this method and values obtained by other techniques.     

陶瓷材料断裂韧性测试新技术：静态爆破剂预制裂纹的研究

准确测试陶瓷材料断裂韧性Ｋ１Ｃ的关键是预制具有原生裂纹的试样。本文以单边切口梁法测试Ｋ１Ｃ为基础，提出了一种简便而有效的陶瓷材料原生裂纹的预制方法－静态膨胀法。研究结果表明：静态膨胀法中裂纹的扩展是稳态的；通过调节影响微裂纹产生与扩展的多种因素，可以准确地控制裂纹扩展的深度，预制出合适的原生裂纹，为准确评价结构陶瓷的断裂韧性提供了一种有效可行的方法。     

Fracture Toughness Analysis of Advanced Ceramic Composite for Hip Prosthesis

The fracture behavior of a zirconia-toughened alumina-matrix composite (added with small amounts of mixed oxides) for ceramic hip joint prostheses has been evaluated with emphasis placed on the effect of environmental surface degradation in moist environment. Accelerated aging tests were performed up to 300 h in an autoclave operating at 121°C (under 0.1 MPa pressure) in vapor environment, which represents a quite severe environmental testing condition. Besides conventional fracture mechanics characterizations, including different types of fracture toughness test, microscopic insight into the effect of environmental surface degradation on toughness could be obtained according to Raman and fluorescence microprobe spectroscopy. The main outcomes of this study were as follows: (i) after 10-h autoclaving (according to ISO standard recommendation) no significant change of monoclinic volume fraction and fracture toughness could be detected; (ii) after very long exposure time (300 h) the monoclinic phase content increased and the surface fracture toughness decreased by approximately 30%, although it was still above the toughness level of pure alumina; and (iii) the bulk toughness was unaffected by autoclave exposure, independent of exposure time elongation.     

Crack-Shape–Wake-Area Effects on Ceramic Fracture Toughness and Strength

It is argued that, where crack wake-area effects are a significant factor in the toughness of ceramics, the rate of change of wake area with crack growth normalized by the instantaneous wake area should be a factor in their mechanical behavior. Simple geometrical considerations show that differences in such wake area changes can vary by a factor of two or more for different test/crack geometries. This raises key questions regarding the (1) applicability of certain toughness tests for predicting strengths, (2) possible favoring of certain initial crack shapes or shape changes during failure, and (3) interaction with fracture mechanics, e.g., how stress intensity and such geometrical wake effects balance to control crack shape and failure.     

Crack Stability and Its Effect on Fracture Toughness of Hot-Pressed Silicon Nitride Beam Specimens

The effect of stable crack extension on fracture toughness test results was determined using single-edge precracked beam specimens. Crack growth stability was examined theoretically for bars loaded in three-point bending under displacement control. The calculations took into account the stiffness of both the specimen and the loading system. The results indicated that the stiffness of the testing system played a major role in crack growth stability. Accordingly, a test system and specimen dimensions were selected which would result in unstable or stable crack extension during the fracture toughness test, depending on the exact test conditions. Hot-pressed silicon nitride bend bars (NC132) were prepared with precracks of different lengths, resulting in specimens with different stiffnesses. The specimens with the shorter precracks and thus higher stiffness broke without stable crack extension, while those with longer cracks, and lower stiffness, broke after some stable crack extension. The fracture toughness values from the unstable tests were 10% higher than those from the stable tests. This difference, albeit small, is systematic and is not considered to be due to material or specimen-to-specimen variation. It is concluded that instability due to the stiffness of test system and specimen must be minimized to ensure some stable crack extension in a fracture toughness test of brittle materials in order to avoid inflated fracture toughness values.     

Effect of Subcritical Crack Growth on Fracture Toughness and Work-of-Fracture Tests Using Chevron-Notched Specimens

A correlation between the plane strain stress intensity factor K_I , load, and crack extension has been analyzed for constant displacement and constant loading rate experiments, using chevron-notched, four-point-bend specimens. It is assumed that at the beginning of the experiment the chevron triangle tip is not ideally sharp. As loading continues, the crack initially moves with velocity v_t at K_I equal to a threshold value K_t . Maximum crack velocity is reached at K_I= K_IC , the fracture toughness. Depending on the type of material tested, a specific displacement or loading rate must be used to correlate the maximum load with K_Ic . An error in K_IC calculation is estimated if different displacement rates are applied. Repeated loading-unloading work-of-fracture (WOF) experiments generate values related to the resistance of the material to fracture initiation, K_t , only when the crack length approaches 100% of the specimen width. Values related to material's fracture toughness, K_IC are not generated in WOF tests.     

Micro-Indentation Fracture Toughness Evaluation with a Novel Microscopy

A novel microscopy is developed for evaluating the fracture toughness of thin ceramic sheets using the micro-indentation method. This microscopy overcomes the theoretical limit of measurement resolution associated with optical microscopes. Using a modified optical microscope, the crack lengths produced by micro-indentation on the surface of an as-fired ceramic sheet can now be measured. Experimental results on an 8 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramic substrate show that the accuracy of the fracture toughness evaluation is satisfactory. This micro-indentation fracture toughness evaluation method is efficient and economical for thin ceramic substrate surfaces, either polished or as-fired.     

Preparation of Unsupported Metal Organic and Ceramic Thin Film Specimens for TEM Observation

A method for preparing TEM specimens from fragile metal organic resin and metal-organic-derived ceramic films is described. Unsupported films can be easily prepared by spin coating a metal organic solution onto a camphor substrate followed by separating the film by subliming the substrate. The method involves encapsulating the fragile film fragments in a low-viscosity, thermosetting, epoxy-hardener solution to obtain mechanical integrity. The encapsulated film can be easily hand polished to approximately 20-μm thickness in less than 1 h. Electron-transparent TEM specimens can then be prepared by ion-beam thinning the encapsulated film, after mounting it on a slotted copper grid.     

Measurement of the Fracture Toughness of Ceramic Materials Using a Miniaturized Disk-Bend Test

The fracture toughness of several ceramic materials has been measured using a miniaturized disk-bend test apparatus and methodology based on small disk-shaped samples 3 mm in diameter. The method involves the Vickers indentation of specimens ranging in thickness from 300 to 700 μm, and testing them in a ring-on-ring bending mode. New experiments on a glass-ceramic (GC) and Si₃N₄ have been performed to demonstrate the validity of the technique, supplementing the original work on ZnS. The fracture resistances of these materials increase with increasing crack length ( R -curve behavior). The data are analyzed using a specific model for the relationship between fracture resistance and crack length; this model enables the R -curve behavior to be treated analytically, and the fracture resistance at "infinite" crack length to be evaluated using a straightforward graphical procedure. The resulting values of the fracture toughness for ZnS, GC, and Si₃N₄ are 0.74 ± 0.02, 2.18 ± 0.09, and 4.97 ± 0.07 MPa-m^1/2, respectively, which are all in very good agreement with values obtained from conventional fracture toughness tests on large specimens. The results verify the utility of the miniaturized diskbend method for measuring the fracture toughness of brittle materials.     

基于尖锐四棱锥压头的陶瓷材料断裂韧性测试方法

根据量纲分析建立陶瓷材料断裂韧性与压入响应参数以及裂纹开裂长度之间的无量纲函数关系,采用虚拟裂纹闭合法和有限元数值分析法实现HPC裂纹、RC裂纹以及过渡裂纹的裂纹尖端等KI开裂面几何的设计,通过对仿真数据的回归分析得到无量纲函数关系的通解,进而建立基于尖锐四棱锥压头的陶瓷材料断裂韧性压入测试方法.对三种陶瓷试样压入实验表明,测试方法精度较高,可以在较小载荷条件下产生裂纹,测试结果几乎不受压入载荷的影响.     

Experimental Study of the Fracture Toughness of a Ceramic/Ceramic-Matrix Composite Sandwich Structure

A hybrid experimental–numerical approach has been used to measure the fracture resistance of a sandwich structure consisting of a 304 stainless steel/partially stabilized zirconia ceramic-matrix composite crack-arresting layer embedded in a partially stabilized zirconia ceramic specimen. The mode I fracture toughness increases significantly when the crack propagates from the ceramic into the ceramic-matrix composite region. The increased toughening due to the stainless steel particles is explained reasonably well by a toughening model based on processing-induced thermal residual stresses. In addition, several experimental modifications were made to the chevron-notch wedge-loaded double cantilever beam specimen to overcome numerous problems encountered in generating a precrack in the small, brittle specimens used in this study.     

Tensile Specimens from Ceramic Components

Three sizes of flat tensile specimens, 76.2 mm, 50.8 mm, and 30 mm long, were developed for tensile testing of experimental lots of material and material taken from ceramic components. Five replicate measurements on each specimen type, at each of two test conditions, yielded statistically indistinguishable creep and creep rupture results. Additional studies indicate that creep testing at 400 MPa on the 76.2 mm and 50.8 mm specimens and 350 MPa on the 30 mm specimen is feasible, limited only by the strength or slow crack growth resistance of the loading pins.     

Evaluation of Tensile Strength and Fracture Toughness of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Polycrystals with Fracture Surface Analysis

The tensile strength of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZPs) was measured and the fracture surfaces were analyzed with the scanning electron microscope and X-ray microanalyzer. The fracture origins of the pressureless-sintered samples were voids or inclusions such as A1₂O₃, A1₂O₃ with SiO₂, and cubic-ZrO₂, while the fracture origins of the hot isostatically pressed samples were inclusions; no voids were detected at fracture origins. The higher strengths of the hot isostatically pressed samples versus those of the pressureless-sintered samples were consistent with the change in fracture origins. The fracture toughness of the samples calculated from the tensile strength and analysis of the fracture origins was 3.4 to 3.7 MPa √m. These values are lower than those measured with the SEPB method. These discrepancies might be caused by the difference in the state of the fracture origin and its neighborhood, such as the size of the fracture origin and interaction between two surfaces in the precrack.     

Fracture Toughness and Interfacial Design of a Biological Fiber-Matrix Ceramic Composite in Sea Urchin Teeth

The working zone of a sea urchin tooth is a ceramic-fiber-reinforced ceramic-matrix composite. It is composed of reinforcing calcitic fibers, a matrix of high-magnesium-containing calcite crystals, and organic material. It is much harder and tougher than most other calcitic materials. Fracture toughness and microhardness have been studied using microindentation. A comparison of fracture morphologies between intact teeth and teeth from which the organic component has been removed reveals that the thin organic sheath at the fiber/matrix boundary has an important contribution to the fiber pull-out fracture behavior and, hence, to the toughness of the teeth.     

High-Temperature Fracture Toughness of Sapphire

The fracture toughness of sapphire with crack propagation parallel to the basal plane was measured from 1200° to 1500°C. Fracture surfaces of near c -axis fibers tested in tension were used to determine the values. The toughness was constant and equal to 1.4 ± 0.1 Mpa^.m^1/2 over the entire temperature range.     

Fracture Toughness of Adhesive Joints

To define the influence of the processing variables on the resistance of epoxy joints to brittle crack extension during short loading times, the fracture toughness, g_ic, of the joints was measured as a function of the following variables:

1. Hardener type (TEPA vs. HHPA)

2. Ratio of hardener to resin content

3. Post-cure temperature

and 4. Joint geometry (thickness and width)

It was found that the toughness of the TEPA hardened system varied by a factor of four-to-one as the ratio of hardener to resin content and post-cure temperature varied within what might be considered reasonable limits for manufacturing. The toughness of the HHPA hardened system varied only over the middle half of this same range.

For both systems, toughness increased with joint thickness over the range of 2 to 50 mils.