Quantitative fractography of mixed-mode fracture in an R-curve material

Mixed-mode fracture surfaces of an R-curve material were quantitatively assessed using fractography. The R-curve material chosen was a mica glass ceramic. Vickers indentation cracks of different sizes were introduced at the center of tensile surface of glass ceramic bars fractured in flexure. The bars were fractured in flexure by generating mixed-mode (I/II) loading conditions at crack tips by orienting indentation cracks at various angles with respect to the tensile axis. Quantitative fractography indicated that crack-to-mirror size ratios were a function of crack length and mode mixity. Stress intensity at branching for the mirror–hackle transition during mixed-mode (I/II) fracture condition was a constant and was less than the corresponding stress intensity at branching in mode I loading. An empirical relationship is derived for the effective geometric factors in mixed-mode fracture of ceramics from surface cracks in flexure.