Repeated Indentation Method for Studying Cyclic Fatigue in Ceramics

A new method for studying cyclic fatigue in ceramics in proposed. It is based on the repeated indentation of the ceramic surface with a sharp indenter and on the relation between the indentation load and the number of indentation cycles needed to produce chipping. The technique is analyzed on the basis of observations on the development of the lateral cracks produced below the identation cavity in a high-grade alumina and on the model of elastic/plastic indentation damage. It is shown that cyclic compressive forces across the lateral crack faces are needed to produce chipping and that a fatigue limit exists in terms of these forces. The scope and limitations of the technique are discussed.

[1]  F. Guiu,et al.  Indentation fatigue of alumina , 1987 .

[2]  Hardness testing of aluminas in air and a simulated body environment , 1983 .

[3]  Y. Mai,et al.  Crack‐Interface Grain Bridging as a Fracture Resistance I, Mechanism in Ceramics: I, Experimental Study on Alumina , 1987 .

[4]  Anthony G. Evans,et al.  Fatigue in ceramics , 1980 .

[5]  A. Evans,et al.  Elastic/Plastic Indentation Damage in Ceramics: The Median/Radial Crack System , 1980 .

[6]  A. Evans,et al.  High frequency cyclic crack propagation in ceramic materials , 1976 .

[7]  The Response of Solids to Elastic/Plastic Indentation. II. Fracture Initiation , 1982 .

[8]  S. Suresh,et al.  Theory and experiments of fracture in cyclic compression: Single phase ceramics, transforming ceramics and ceramic composites , 1988 .

[9]  M. Reece,et al.  Cyclic Fatigue Crack Propagation in Alumina under Direct Tension—Compression Loading , 1989 .

[10]  L. Ewart,et al.  Crack propagation in ceramics under cyclic loads , 1987 .

[11]  Subra Suresh,et al.  Constitutive behavior of a microcracking brittle solid in cyclic compression , 1987 .

[12]  Brian R. Lawn,et al.  A Critical Evaluation of Indentation Techniques for Measuring Fracture Toughness: I , 1981 .

[13]  Shu-Sheng Chiang,et al.  THE RESPONSE OF SOLIDS TO ELASTIC/ PLASTIC INDENTATION , 1980 .

[14]  S. Suresh,et al.  Fracture of Si3N4–SiC Whisker Composites under Cyclic Loads , 1988 .

[15]  D. Hasselman,et al.  Static and Cyclic Fatigue Behavior of a Polycrystalline Alumina , 1972 .

[16]  A. Evans,et al.  Elastic/Plastic Indentation Damage in Ceramics: The Lateral Crack System , 1982 .

[17]  F. Guiu.  Cyclic fatigue of polycrystalline alumina in direct push-pull , 1978 .