Microstructural aspects of crack propagation in ceramics

Abstract

X-ray microradiographic examination supported by optical and SEM observations was used to study crack propagation in various ceramics, including glasses and cubic and noncubic polycrystalline bodies of different grain sizes. The nature of crack propagation in ceramics was often extremely complex. While cracks in glassy materials were generally simple, as would be expected, in cubic and non-cubic polycrystalline specimens both wandering and branching of cracks was observed. In cubic materials, wandering and branching occurred on the scale of the grain size, while in fine grain, non-cubic materials these were on a multi-grain scale. Results are consistent with the grain size dependence of fracture energy. Elastic anisotropy and thermal expansion anisotropy were suggested as major factors in crack wandering and branching.