Strength of Brittle Materials in Moderately Corrosive Environments

Published

October 30, 2017

Author(s)

Robert F. Cook

Abstract

The strengths of four brittle materials―cordierite glass ceramic, fused silica, silicon, and polycrystalline alumina were measured after exposure to weakly-corrosive water and moderately- corrosive buffered HF (BHF) solution. Exposure to water did not alter the strengths in subsequent inert strength tests and decreased the strengths in reactive strength tests. Exposure to BHF increased the strengths in both tests, but only after an incubation exposure time. Prior to the incubation time, the BHF had the same effect as water, suggesting that the bond rupture kinetics were unaffected. Examination of the strength-controlling indentation flaws after the incubation time showed clear corrosive effects on the flaw geometry indicative of reductions in the indentation residual stress fields. The implication is that moderately corrosive environments increase the strength or lifetime of a brittle component by reducing the crack driving force via flaw alteration not, as perhaps expected, decrease the strength or lifetime through enhanced chemical reactivity.

Citation

Journal of the American Ceramic Society

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.15307

Local Download

Keywords

Strength, corrosion, indentation, glass-ceramic, silica, silicon, alumina

Citation

Cook, R. (2017), Strength of Brittle Materials in Moderately Corrosive Environments, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, [online], https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.15307, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=923867 (Accessed October 15, 2025)