Abstract
The concept of room temperature plastic flow of most engineering ceramics can only be investigated using indentation methods or methods that superimpose large hydrostatic compressive stresses which prevent tensile fracture. As such great importance is placed upon the measurement of hardness as a means of characterising “plasticity” of ceramics. In particular, the influence of hardness in estimating wear rates due to abrasion or erosion is well established1. However, because of the low toughness of ceramics, indentation tests even at low loads, are associated with significant cracking. There is also the well known but still poorly understood “indentation size effect” which refers to the observed 20–50% reduction in measured hardness with increasing load2.
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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Bushby, A.J., Swain, M.V. (1995). Spherical Indentation as a Means for Investigating the Plastic Deformation of Ceramics. In: Bradt, R.C., Brookes, C.A., Routbort, J.L. (eds) Plastic Deformation of Ceramics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1441-5_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1441-5_14
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