Refinements to the Surface Crack in Flexure Method for Fracture Toughness of Ceramics

摘要

The surface crack in flexure method features a small, well-defined crack commensurate in size with natural flaws in structural ceramics. Lateral cracks may interfere with the median crack causing errors in computed fracture toughness. This problem primarily occurs for materials whose fracture toughness is ≤3 MPa√m. A simple remedy is described.