ANALYTICAL MODELING FOR BRIDGING STRESS FUNCTION INVOLVING GRAIN-SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN A POLYCRYSTALLINE ALUMINA

Abstract

In order to investigate the microstructural effect on the R-curve behavior in a polycrystalline alumina, an analytical model has been proposed based on the relationship between bridging stress and crack opening displacement. The crack opening displacement was measured using an in situ SEM fracture method, and then used for a fitting procedure to obtain the bridging stress distribution. The results indicated that the bridging stress function and the R-curve computed by the current model were consistent with those computed by the power-law relation, and that the grain size distribution was closely related to the bridging stress. Thus, the current model explained well the correlation between the bridging stress distribution and the local-fracture-controlling microstructural parameter to interpret the microfracture mechanism, including the R-curve behavior.