Influence of finite notch root radius and optically determined crack length on the measured fracture toughness of brittle materials

When measuring the fracture toughness of ceramics, for instance with the Single Edge V-Notched Beam (SEVNB) method, a known problem is given by the finite notch root radius. If this radius is larger than a certain small value of a few micrometers, the measured stress intensity factor is higher than the true intrinsic value. Another problem is that due to technical and physical reasons the optically measured crack length at stable crack growth is smaller than the true crack length, which might lead to an underestimation of the fracture toughness. In the given paper an experimental approach is presented to register these effects quantitatively with stable crack advance and to finally obtain the correct fracture toughness. This is achieved by applying a new computer aided automatic control system for stable crack advance and by analyzing the results in force–displacement and crack length–force diagrams. The used material is zirconia-toughened alumina.