Thermomechanical properties and fracture mechanisms of calcium hexaluminate

Calcium hexaluminate is a material close to alumina which is recently being the subject of an increasing number of papers. However until now, nobody has deeply studied its properties or the mechanisms responsible for its mechanical behaviour. The flexural strength, toughness, crack growth resistance and thermal shock behaviour of calcium hexaluminate have been investigated. The observation of crack surfaces and cracks generated by indentation has allowed to identify the fracture mechanisms and to evaluate the influence of microstructure. Properties were compared to alumina.