The resistance of silicon carbide to static and impact local loading

The physical nature of the resistance of SiC crystals to static and local impact loading has been examined. Investigation of the temperature dependence of hardness for SiC crystals allows the determination of the characteristic deformation temperature (T∗ ≈ 1600 K), the parameter α that characterizes the degree of covalence in interatomic bonds (α ≈ 6) and the temperature range in which a phase transition under pressure during indentation is possible (T < 800 K). Indentation technique gives possibility to construct stress-strain curves for brittle materials and to determine Hugoniot Elastic Limit. During dynamic penetration of a kinetic projectile into a SiC target the phase transition takes place.