Fracture toughness, K_Ic, is a measure of the resistance to crack extension in a brittle material. These test methods may be used for material development, material comparison, quality assessment, and characterization.

The pb and the vb fracture toughness values provide information on the fracture resistance of advanced ceramics containing large sharp cracks, while the sc fracture toughness value provides this information for small cracks comparable in size to natural fracture sources. Cracks of different sizes may be used for the sc method. If the fracture toughness values vary as a function of the crack size it can be expected that K_Isc will differ from K_Ipb and K_Ivb.

1. Scope

1.1 These test methods cover the fracture toughness, K_Ic, determination of advanced ceramics at ambient temperature. The methods determine K_Ipb (precracked beam test specimen), K_Isc (surface crack in flexure), and K_Ivb (chevron-notched beam test specimen). The fracture toughness values are determined using beam test specimens with a sharp crack. The crack is either a straight-through crack formed via bridge flexure (pb), or a semi-elliptical surface crack formed via Knoop indentation (sc), or it is formed and propagated in a chevron notch (vb), as shown in Fig. 1.

Note 1—The terms bend(ing) and flexure are synonymous in these test methods.

1.2 These test methods are applicable to materials with either flat or with rising R-curves. Differences in test procedure and analysis may cause the values from each test method to be different. For many materials, such as the silicon nitride Standard Reference Material 2100, the three methods give identical results at room temperature in ambient air.

1.3 The fracture toughness values for a material can be functions of environment, test rate and temperature. These test methods give fracture toughness values for specific conditions of environment, test rate and temperature.

1.4 These test methods are intended primarily for use with advanced ceramics which are macroscopically homogeneous. Certain whisker- or particle-reinforced ceramics may also meet the macroscopic behavior assumptions. Single crystals may also be tested.

1.5 This standard begins with a main body that provides information on fracture toughness testing in general. It is followed by annexes and appendices with specific information for the particular test methods.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

C1161 Test Method for Flexural Strength of Advanced Ceramics at Ambient Temperature

C1322 Practice for Fractography and Characterization of Fracture Origins in Advanced Ceramics

E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines

E112 Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size

E177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in ASTM Test Methods

E337 Test Method for Measuring Humidity with a Psychrometer (the Measurement of Wet- and Dry-Bulb Temperatures)

E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to Determine the Precision of a Test Method

E740 Practice for Fracture Testing with Surface-Crack Tension Specimens

E1823 Terminology Relating to Fatigue and Fracture Testing

IEEE/ASTM SI 10 Standard for Use of the International System of Units (SI) (The Modern Metric System)

Reference Material

Keywords

advanced ceramics; chevron notch; fracture toughness; precracked beam; surface crack in flexure; Fracture testing--advanced ceramics; Precracked beam; Surface crack in flexure; Advanced ceramics; Ambient temperature; Chevron notched specimen; Cracking--ceramics; Flexural testing--ceramics;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 81.060.30 (Advanced ceramics)

Citing ASTM Standards

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