Vickers microindentation toughness of a sintered SiC in the median-crack regime

摘要

The Vickers microindentation method for the determination of the fracture toughness of ceramics was investigated in the median crack regime for a sintered alpha SiC. The results are compared with fracture toughness measurements by conventional fracture mechanics technique and also with the reported indentation toughness for the low-load Palmqvist crack regime. Indentation toughnesses in the median crack regime vary widely depending on the choice of the specific equation which is applied. The indentation toughnesses are also load (crack length) dependent. A decreasing R-curve trend results, in contradiction to the flat R-curve that has been observed with conventional fracture mechanics techniques. It is concluded that the Vickers microindentation method is not a reliable technique for the determination of the fracture toughness of ceramics in the median crack regime.