Abstract
To achieve toughening by the crack bridging process the introduction of large elongated grains by fracture resistance is necessary but not sufficient. While increasing the diameter of the elongated grains can increase the toughening effect, this requires that fracture occur along grain interfaces rather than through the grains. This interface debonding process appears to be modified by the chemistry of the oxynitride glass at the grain boundaries. Experiments show that increasing the yttria to alumina ratio or decreasing the ntirogen content of Si-AI-O-N glasses promotes interfacial debonding. The crack bridging contributions to the R-curve behavior is also a function of the content and size of the bridging reinforcement as noted in whisker-reinforced ceramics. Thus, control of micrstructure and interfacial phases is critical to the development of toughened silicon nitiride ceramics.
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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Becher, P.F., Hwang, S.L., Lin, H.T., Tiegs, T.N. (1994). Microstructural Contributions to the Fracture Resistance of Silicon Nitride Ceramics. In: Hoffmann, M.J., Petzow, G. (eds) Tailoring of Mechanical Properties of Si3N4 Ceramics. NATO ASI Series, vol 276. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0992-5_6
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