This book is a monograph on the brittle fracture of ceramic materials, in a unified continuum, microstructural and atomistic treatment.

This is an advanced text for higher degree materials science students and researchers concerned with the strength of highly brittle covalent-ionic solids, principally ceramics. It is a reconstructed and greatly expanded edition of a book first published in 1975. The book presents a unified continuum, microstructural and atomistic treatment of modern day fracture mechanics from a materials perspective. Particular attention is directed to the basic elements of bonding and microstructure that govern the intrinsic toughness of ceramics. These elements hold the key to the future of ceramics as high-technology materials--to make brittle solids strong, we must first understand what makes them weak. The underlying theme of the book is the fundamental Griffith energy-balance concept of crack propagation. The early chapters develop fracture mechanics from the traditional continuum perspective, with attention to linear and nonlinear crack-tip fields, equilibrium and non-equilibrium crack states. It then describes the atomic structure of sharp cracks, the topical subject of crack-microstructure interactions in ceramics, with special focus on the concepts of crack-tip shielding and crack-resistance curves, and finally deals with indentation fracture, flaws and structural reliability.

Supports the use and development of strong, fracture-resistant, and mechanically reliable ceramic materials The Fracture of Brittle Materials thoroughly sets forth the key scientific and engineering concepts underlying the selection of test procedures for fracture toughness, strength determination, and reliability predictions. With this book as their guide, readers can confidently test and analyze a broad range of brittle materials in order to make the best use of existing materials as well as to support the development of new materials. The authors explain the importance of microstructure in these determinations and describe the use of quantitative fractography in failure analysis. The Fracture of Brittle Materials is relevant to a broad range of ceramic materials (i.e., any inorganic non-metal), including semiconductors, cements and concrete, oxides, carbides, and nitrides. The book covers such topics as: Basic principles of fracture mechanics underlying brittle material tests and analysis procedures Theory and mechanisms of environmentally enhanced crack growth Fracture mechanics tests to determine a material's resistance to fast fracture Test and analysis methods to assess the strength of ceramics Methods to analyze the fracture process based on quantitative measurements of the fracture surface Effect of a material's microstructure Methods for predicting the lifetime of brittle components under stress Throughout the book, figures and illustrations help readers understand key concepts and methods. Replete with real-world examples, this text enables engineers and materials and ceramics scientists to select and implement the optimal testing methods for their particular research needs and then accurately analyze the results.

Understanding the Basics of Nanoindentation and Why It Is ImportantContact damage induced brittle fracture is a common problem in the field of brittle solids. In the case of both glass and ceramics-and as it relates to both natural and artificial bio-materials-it has triggered the need for improved fabrication technology and new product development

This book derives from the invited IUTAM Symposium in September 1993. The contributions discuss recent advances in fracture mechanics studies of concrete, rock, ceramics and other brittle disordered materials at micro and structural levels. It draws together research and new applications in continuum, damage and fracture mechanics approaches.

This book offers a collection of 17 scientific papers about the computational modeling of fracture. Some of the manuscripts propose new computational methods and/or how to improve existing cutting edge methods for fracture. These contributions can be classified into two categories: 1. Methods which treat the crack as strong discontinuity such as peridynamics, scaled boundary elements or specific versions of the smoothed finite element methods applied to fracture and 2. Continuous approaches to fracture based on, for instance, phase field models or continuum damage mechanics. On the other hand, the book also offers a wide range of applications where state-of-the-art techniques are employed to solve challenging engineering problems such as fractures in rock, glass, concrete. Also, larger systems such as fracture in subway stations due to fire, arch dams, or concrete decks are studied.