Elastic and plastic fracture energies of metal/ceramic joints

The present paper examines a model system for metal ceramic compounds. The elastic moduli of alumina and niobium are used and the materials are characterized by the same thermal expansion coefficient. The influence of the plastic properties of the metal part on the interface strength and on the energy release rate is examined. In order to get a deeper insight into the correlation between these properties, the energy release rate is separated in elastic and plastic parts. Additional comparisons with J-integral calculations are made.