Delayed fracture of ceramics caused by stress-dependent surface reactions

• Published in: Acta materialia Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 77 - 88
• Main Authors: Yu, H.H., Suo, Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 11.12.1998; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fatigue, brittleness, fracture, and cracks; Mechanical and acoustical properties of condensed matter; Mechanical properties of solids; Physics; Fracture mechanics; Ruptures; Delayed fracture; Surface reactions; Mechanical load; Elasticity; Theoretical study; Mechanical properties; Modelling; Ceramics; Stress corrosion cracking

Consider a ceramic in an environment, corroding gradually by a surface reaction. When in addition subject to a mechanical load, the ceramic loses mass preferentially at grain-boundary grooves where stress concentrates, so that atomistically sharp cracks may nucleate. Before becoming a crack, a groov...