ISSN:
1573-4803
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
Notes:
Abstract Rising-crack-growth resistance or R-curves evaluated by direct measurements of crack lengths associated with indentation flaws in a sintered silicon nitride and a sintered and isostatically hot pressed (HIPed) SiC (whisker)-reinforced alumina were used to predict the corresponding indentation-load dependence of fracture strengths. Two empirical R-curve functions, a power law and an exponential function, were fitted to the R-curve data for the analysis. Fracture strengths were calculated by a combined numerical and graphical procedure that determined the point of tangency between crack-driving forces and the R-curves. The results revealed that the exponential function gave a better prediction of the measured log fracture-strength versus log indentation-load relation than the power law. The exponential function also predicted a nearly linear relation between log fracture-strength and log indentation-load, thus indicating that the apparent linearity of this plot is not adequate evidence to assume a power-law R-curve function. This study, therefore, reinforces the case for R-curve evaluations to be based on direct crack-length measurements rather than strength measurements, because the indentation-load dependence of the fracture strength is not sufficiently sensitive to discriminate between potential R-curve functions.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00365032
Permalink