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A note on evaluating the fracture energy of thin ceramic layers by cleavage

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Abstract

A new method is suggested aimed at evaluating \(\mathcal{G}\) IC , the mode I fracture energy of thin brittle layers. The fracture energy is obtained by cleaving a ceramic layer sandwiched between two metallic layers, joined by brazing. The driving force for the cleavage is the mismatch between the thermal expansion coefficients of the ceramic and the metallic layers. The fracture energy is calculated from the strain energy released in the cleaved sandwiched structure. Based on this method, the fracture energy of the ceramic layer can be evaluated if the cleavage temperature is known, either by visual inspection or instrumentation. The method is effective for thin ceramic layers, for the determination of the fracture energy of cleavage planes of single crystal brittle solids (provided the cleavage plane is within the plane of the specimen), and for the interfacial fracture energy of ceramic/ceramic or ceramic/metal joints. In order to verify and calibrate the test method, polycrystalline alumina thin plates were joined by brazing with Ti-6Al-4V alloy using Wesgo Cusil ABA alloy. The appropriate selection of materials and geometry, and some difficulties arising from this method are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel. e-mail

    Dov Sherman & Sa'ar Rahav

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  1. Dov Sherman
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  2. Sa'ar Rahav
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Sherman, D., Rahav, S. A note on evaluating the fracture energy of thin ceramic layers by cleavage. International Journal of Fracture 99, 189–199 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018669709452

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018669709452

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