Simple method to measure the crack resistance of ceramic materials

A new and simple method to study the change in crack resistance during the process of crack growth in ceramic materials has been developed. The method is based on using the chevron-notched short-bar test which is generally accepted as a convenient method for measuring fracture toughness. The simple modification described here allows one to measure fracture toughness using the assumption that fracture toughness changes in the process of crack growth (presence of crack resistance curve, or R-curve). This method presents many advantages, especially the long stable crack growth under mode I fracture specimen and plane strain, small specimen size and no need of pre-cracking for measuring R-curve behaviour in ceramic materials.