This paper investigates the fracture resistance behavior of a novel silicon nitride with a unique laminated structure consisting of alternate dense and porous layers, in the latter of which beta-silicon nitride whiskers are aligned parallel to the layer. The R-curve behavior was determined by using a chevron-notched beam technique when a crack propagates in the direction normal to the whisker axis. The resistance markedly increases whenever a crack passes through the porous layer, resulting in step-wise rising i?-curve behavior. The microscopic study revealed that the aligned whiskers were almost completely pulled-out in the porous layer.
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