Estimation of Characteristic Parameters of a Grain-Bridging Model for Crack-Extension

Published

June 1, 1999

Author(s)

Ralph Krause

Abstract

An alternative method of analysis was developed to estimate characteristic parameters of a published grain-bridging model for crack-extension resistance (R-curve) and to enable estimations of standard deviations of the perameters, which determine to a large extent the usefulnessof the measurement results. The method is based upon fitting the model to both strength and crack-length measurements, corresponding to a range of indentation loads. Identation-strength data for an alumina ceramic that was hot-pressed with a mean grain size of 10 m were used todemonstrate the method of analysis. These data were take from tests where the indentation cracks were much larger than the grain size of the alumina and where residual stresses due to the indentations were annealed out. The model in this situation can be reduced to an explicit expres-sion of strength as a nonlinear function of crack length,which is easily amenable for analysis by a least-squares method for nonlinear functions. The results indicate some limitations in the usefulness of estimating parameters of the grain-bridging model. As many as three of the five major characteristic parameters of the model can be estimated from the selected indentation-strength data, but because the standard deviations of the three parameters are rather large, preferably not more than two parameters should be estimated, assuming the third is known.

Citation

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

Volume

2

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

Grain-bridging model, parameters

Citation

Krause, R. (1999), Estimation of Characteristic Parameters of a Grain-Bridging Model for Crack-Extension, Journal of the American Ceramic Society (Accessed April 25, 2026)

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