The Role of Plasticity as a Limiting Factor in the Compressive Failure of High Strength Ceramics

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1998

Department

Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Abstract

The behavior of aluminum oxide under compressive loading is investigated over a wide range in strain rate and degrees of confinement. It is shown that plastic flow can be generated in Al2O3 at all strain rates if confinement is sufficient to prevent premature failure via microfracture. Moreover, plastic flow is itself a source of microfracture, and the threshold for multiple slip apparently constitutes the practical ultimate strength for the ceramic. Thus, for sufficiently fine-grained alumina tested under optimum conditions, no confinement is required to generate plastic flow, at which stress the material fails via dislocation-induced general microfracture.

Publisher's Statement

Copyright © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

Mechanics of Materials

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