Influence of Surface Residual Stress State on Crack Path Evolution in Polycrystalline Alumina

The residual stress distribution in polycrystalline alumina is estimated by an object-oriented finite element method. By combining the microstructural image, individual grain orientation, and the crystal elastic properties, the residual stress distribution under a plane stress assumption is obtained by an analysis cooling of the sample through 1000°C. Furthermore, the residual stresses associated with grain boundary areas are investigated and discussed in the context of the concomitant influence on the observed crack path.     

Cyclic Fatigue Crack Propagation in Alumina under Direct Tension—Compression Loading

Cyclically induced crack propagation occurs in alumina subjected to direct tension—compression loading. The crack increment per cycle (da/dN) has a power-law dependence on the peak stress intensity factor (K_max). Cyclic crack growth can occur at lower values of K_max than are required to produce static fatigue effects. Subcritical crack-growth behavior was found to be dependent on specimen geometry: it is suggested that direct compressive loads and crack length are both factors that affect cyclic fatigue behavior, and that the use of K alone to characterize fatigue crack growth in ceramics may be questionable.     

Cyclic Fatigue–Crack Propagation Behavior in Silicon Carbide: Long- and Small-Crack Behavior

Cyclic fatigue properties of high-toughness SiC with additives of Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ were examined, with a focus on differences between long- (>3 mm) and small-crack (<200 μm) behavior. Small cracks were initiated with Vickers indents placed on the tensile surfaces of beams, and crack extension was monitored optically under cyclic load. For small cracks, high growth rates which exhibited a negative dependence on the far-field driving force were observed. Such behavior was explained by both indent-induced residual stresses and the relative size of cracks compared with bridging zone lengths.     

Crack-Healing Behavior of Si3N4/SiC Ceramics under Cyclic Stress and Resultant Fatigue Strength at the Healing Temperature

Si₃N₄/SiC composite ceramics were sintered and subjected to three-point bending. A semi-elliptical surface crack of 100 μm surface length was made on each specimen. The crack-healing behavior under cyclic stress of 5 Hz, and resultant cyclic fatigue strengths at healing temperatures of 1100° and 1200°C, were systematically investigated. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Si₃N₄/SiC composite ceramics have an excellent ability to heal a crack at 1100° and 1200°C. (2) This sample could heal a crack even under cyclic stress at a frequency of 5 Hz. (3) The crack-healed sample exhibited quite high cyclic fatigue strength at each crack-healing temperature, 1100° and 1200°C.     

Indentation Fatigue of High-Purity Alumina in Fluid Environments

The influence of environment on the cyclic fatigue behavior of a high-purity alumina bioceramic was investigated using the repeated indentation technique. Tests were conducted in the presence of water, a variety of alcohols, toluene, and simulated physiological fluid environments. The results show that these environments do not have any detectable effect on the damage produced by single indentations, but those containing water cause a significant degradation in cyclic fatigue resistance which cannot be quantified in terms of known subcritical crack growth behavior in static fatigue. It is concluded that the effects of fluid environments on the growth of cyclically driven cracks must be an integral part of the mechanism responsible for cyclic fatigue in ceramics.     

Cyclic Fatigue Behavior of an Alumina Ceramic with Crack-Resistance Characteristics

The behavior under cyclic tension—tension loading of an alumina ceramic with pronounced crack-bridging (R-curve) characteristics is studied. Tests on disk specimens with indentation cracks reveal no failures below the static fatigue limit. Theoretical predictions of the stress-lifetime response, based on the premise that environmentally assisted slow crack growth is the sole factor determining lifetime, are consistent (within experimental scatter) with the data. The results indicate that there is no significant cyclic degradation from potential damage to the bridges, at least in the short-crack region pertinent to strength properties.     

橡胶复合材料在循环载荷下的疲劳损伤特性

利用自行建立的疲劳试验系统，以单向聚酯帘线增强橡胶复合材料为对象，研究了循环载荷作用下影响橡胶复合材料疲劳性能的因素。结果表明，应力幅值和加载频率对橡胶复合材料疲劳性能影响较大，而平均应力影响较小。聚酯／橡胶复合材料的疲劳强化现象主要与组分材料本身的特性有关。     

Static and Cyclic Fatigue of Alumina at High Temperatures

Fatigue behavior of alumina at 1200°C was investigated. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted in both static and cyclic loading. A variety of loading wave forms were applied during the cyclic tests. Cyclic lifetime is found to be cycle shape dependent and controlled by the duration of the hold time at the maximum tensile stress in a cycle. Cyclic loading with a higher strain rate and a short duration of maximum stress during each cycle provides a beneficial effect on lifetime in comparison to static loading at the same maximum stress. The time to failure for cyclic loading with a longer hold time at maximum stress is very close to the static loading lifetime. Viscous boundary phase may be the primary contributor to the improved cyclic fatigue resistance for cyclic loading with a short duration of maximum stress.     

Strengthening of Zirconia–Alumina During Cyclic Fatigue Testing

Recent fatigue results of advanced ceramics are reviewed. It is pointed out that current statements of fatigue properties often relate to specimens with long artificial cracks; in this study, a Y-ZrO₂+Al₂O₃ ceramic is tested under cyclic stresses using specimens with natural flaws. Cyclic fatigue is restricted to a narrow range of stresses near the ultimate strength. Survivor specimens reveal increased residual strength, possibly resulting from a higher ZrO₂ phase transformation encouraged by long-term cyclic stresses.     

Crack-Healing Behavior of Al2O3 Toughened by SiC Whiskers

Al₂O₃ reinforced by SiC whiskers (Al₂O₃/SiC-W) was hot-pressed to investigate the crack-healing behavior. Semielliptical surface cracks of 100 μm in surface length were introduced using a Vickers indenter. The specimens containing precracks were crack-healed at temperatures between 1000° and 1300°C for 1 h in air, and their strengths were measured by three-point bending tests at room temperature and elevated temperatures between 400° and 1300°C. The results show that Al₂O₃/SiC-W possesses considerable crack-healing ability. The surface cracks with length of 2 c = 100 μm could be healed by crack-healing at 1200° or 1300°C for 1 h in air. Fracture toughness of the material was also determined. As expected, the SiC whiskers made their Al₂O₃ tougher.     

A Layered Alumina Composite Tested at High Temperature in Air

An oxidation-resistant interphase for layered alumina composites was prepared by aerosol spray deposition of submicrometer alumina powder. A model composite specimen was made by placing the interphase between thin layers of monolithic alumina. The composite sandwich was hot-pressed to control the interphase fracture resistance for successful crack deflection. Specimens were tested under four-point bending in air at two crosshead speeds at ambient temperature, 1000°C, and 1200°C. The fracture behavior was temperature dependent, with a higher work of fracture at higher temperatures. Interphase delamination and composite toughening behavior were very pronounced at all temperatures. At the highest temperature, the transition to multiple widely distributed cracks and increased crack deflection may be related to inelastic deformation in the alumina.     

Effect of Yttrium and Erbium Ions on Epitaxial Phase Transformations in Alumina

The effect of low concentrations of Y, Er, and Cr solutes on the amorphous-to-γ transformation and on the γ-to-α transformation in aluminum oxide has been studied in situ by time-resolved reflectivity. The activation energies of the two transformations with these dopants are the same as in undoped alumina, being 4.1 ± 0.1 and 5.2 ± eV, respectively. Although not affecting the activation energies, Y, Er, and Cr do affect the transformation kinetics. Y and Cr ions decrease the γ-to-α transformation velocity and, over the limited range studied, do so in proportion to their concentration. Concentrations of Er as low as ∼6 ppm retard the γ-to-α transformation and concentrations of 32 ppm essentially stop the transformation occurring within the times and temperatures accessible within the present experiment, thereby preventing quantification of the effect of Er on the α-phase transformation. Erbium also retards the amorphous-to-γ transformation relative to undoped alumina whereas yttrium and chromium accelerate it.     

Fracture and Fatigue Behavior at Ambient and Elevated Temperatures of Alumina Bonded with Copper/Niobium/Copper Interlayers

Interfacial fracture toughness and cyclic fatigue-crack growth properties of joints made from 99.5% pure alumina partially transient liquid-phase bonded using copper/niobium/copper interlayers have been investigated at both room and elevated temperatures, and assessed in terms of interfacial chemistry and microstructure. The mean interfacial fracture toughness, G _c, was found to decrease from 39 to 21 J/m² as temperature was raised from 25° to 1000°C, with failure primarily at the alumina/niobium interfaces. At room temperature, cyclic fatigue-crack propagation occurred both at the niobium/alumina interface and in the alumina adjacent to the interface, with the fatigue threshold, Δ G _TH, ranging from 20 to 30 J/m²; the higher threshold values in that range resulted from a predominantly near-interfacial (alumina) crack path. During both fracture and fatigue failure, residual copper at the interface deformed and remained adhered to both sides of the fracture surface, acting as a ductile second phase, while separation of the niobium/alumina interface appeared relatively brittle in both cases. The observed fracture and fatigue behavior is considered in terms of the respective roles of the presence of ductile copper regions at the interface which provide toughening, extrinsic toughening due to grain bridging during crack propagation in the alumina, and the relative crack propagation resistance of each crack path, including the effects of segregation at the interfaces found by Auger spectroscopy.     

Fatigue Crack Growth Rates in Adhesive Joints Tested at Different Frequencies

Mode I fatigue crack growth tests were conducted on joints bonded with a filled adhesive (A) at 20 Hz and 2 Hz and on joints bonded with a filled and toughened adhesive (B) at 20 Hz, 2 Hz, 0.2 Hz and 0.02 Hz. Strain energy release rate, G, and J-integral were evaluated based on elastic and elastoplastic finite element analyses (FEA) of the joints bonded with adhesive A and B, respectively. For the configurations considered, J was found to be path-independent and did not differ much from G. The fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR), da/dN, in the joints bonded with adhesive A was relatively independent of frequency while it increased with decreasing frequency at given δ for the joints bonded with adhesive B. The fatigue processes in both adhesives involved the cracking of the filler particles and subsequent linkage of the resultant microcracks. The process zone in adhesive B is larger than that in adhesive A and it increases with decreasing frequency. It is suggested that this variation in process zone size can account for the observed fatigue behaviour. The fatigue crack growth velocity, da/dt, was also calculated for the joints bonded with adhesive B and the variation of da/dt with test frequency at given δG is much smaller than the variation in da/dN, suggesting a creep effect in the fatigue crack growth.     

Fatigue Crack Growth Rates in Adhesive Joints Tested at Different Frequencies

Mode I fatigue crack growth tests were conducted on joints bonded with a filled adhesive (A) at 20 Hz and 2 Hz and on joints bonded with a filled and toughened adhesive (B) at 20 Hz, 2 Hz, 0.2 Hz and 0.02 Hz. Strain energy release rate, G, and J-integral were evaluated based on elastic and elastoplastic finite element analyses (FEA) of the joints bonded with adhesive A and B, respectively. For the configurations considered, J was found to be path-independent and did not differ much from G. The fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR), da/dN, in the joints bonded with adhesive A was relatively independent of frequency while it increased with decreasing frequency at given δ for the joints bonded with adhesive B. The fatigue processes in both adhesives involved the cracking of the filler particles and subsequent linkage of the resultant microcracks. The process zone in adhesive B is larger than that in adhesive A and it increases with decreasing frequency. It is suggested that this variation in process zone size can account for the observed fatigue behaviour. The fatigue crack growth velocity, da/dt, was also calculated for the joints bonded with adhesive B and the variation of da/dt with test frequency at given δG is much smaller than the variation in da/dN, suggesting a creep effect in the fatigue crack growth.     

Static and Cyclic Fatigue of Alumina at High Temperatures: II, Failure Analysis

Failure mechanisms of an alumina, tested at 1200°C under static and various cyclic loading conditions, were examined. Slow crack growth of a single crack is the dominant mechanism for the failure in specimens under cyclic loading with a short duration of maximum stress at all applied stress levels, as well as at high applied loads for static loading and cyclic loading with a longer hold time at maximum stress. At low stress levels, failure of static loading and cyclic loading with a longer hold time at maximum stress might occur by formation and/or growth of multiple macrocracks. More importantly, for all the given loading conditions. The viscous glassy phase behind the crack tip could have a bridging effect on the crack surfaces. A simplified model for calculating effective stress intensity factor at the crack tip under static and various cyclic loading demonstrated a trend consistent with the stress–life data.     

Alumina Grown during Deposition of Thermal Barrier Coatings on NiCrAlY

The microstructure of Al₂O₃ formed by oxidation of a model NiCrAlY alloy during electron-beam physical vapor deposition of ZrO₂–7.6 mol% YO_1.5 is examined and compared with that formed on the bare substrate. The growth rate, morphology, and chemical composition of the oxide vary among the different constituents of the alloy surface and are further influenced by the O₂ partial pressure and the physical presence of the thermal barrier coating (TBC) layer. These differences, however, are largely limited to the outer oxide layer. The interplay between the TBC and the growing oxide leads to the formation of a fine-grain Al₂O₃–ZrO₂"mixed zone" within the thermally grown oxide. A mechanism is outlined to explain this behavior, based on the dissolution of ZrO₂ in a transient Al₂O₃ structure growing by outward diffusion of Al, and its subsequent reprecipitation when the metastable phase transforms to the stable α-Al₂O₃ form.     

Crack-Bridging Analysis for Alumina Ceramics under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading

Frictional degradation of grain-localized bridges behind a crack tip has been recognized as the major cyclic fatigue mechanism in alumina ceramics. Such a fatigue mechanism implies that the crack growth resistance ( R ) curve behavior during cyclic fatigue is different from that of monotonic loading due to the reduction in crack-tip shielding. A recent crack-bridging theory based on crack compliances is used to study the bridging stresses under monotonic loading and during cyclic fatigue. The bridging-stress distributions of two coarse-grained aluminas under monotonic loading are determined using compliance measurements. Because the interlocking grain bridges at the crack wake are subject to frictional damage from cyclic loading, the bridging-stress distribution evaluated during cyclic fatigue is distinct from that for monotonic loading. These results indicate that it is incorrect to incorporate the R -curve behavior from monotonic loading to the analysis of cyclic fatigue of alumina ceramics.     

Creep and Creep Fracture in Hot-Pressed Alumina

The creep and creep fracture behavior of two hot-pressed aluminas are presented, for both flexural and tensile testing. Steady-state power-law creep is observed with a stress exponent of about 2 for each material. Three distinct fracture regimes are found. At high stress in flexure, fracture occurs by slow crack growth with a high stress dependence of the failure time. At intermediate stresses, in both flexure and tension, creep fracture occurs by multiple microcracking after modest strains. Failure times exhibit a modest stress dependence (stress exponent of 2.5 in tension and 3 in flexure), with a constant failure strain equal to 0.09. The failure times are considerably longer in flexure than in tension, because of the constraint imposed on crack growth by the bending geometry. We conclude that flexure cannot be used for creep lifetime assessment, even in simple, single-phase materials such as Al₂O₃. At low stresses, in tension, failure also exhibits a modest stress dependence but with a much higher failure strain. The material shows the onset of super-plastic behavior.