Cyclic Fatigue-Crack Propagation in Ceramics: Behavior in Overaged and Partially-Stabilized MgO-Zirconia

The growth of fatigue cracks under (tension-tension) cyclic loading is unequivocally demonstrated for ceramic materials, based on experiments using compact-tension specimens of a MgO partially-stabilized zirconia (PSZ), heat treated to vary the fracture toughness K{sub c} from {approximately}3 MPa{radical}m (overaged condition) to 16 MPa{radical}m (peak-toughness condition) and tested in inert and moist environments. Analogous to behavior in metals, cyclic fatigue-crack growth rates (over the range 10{sup {minus}11} to 10{sup {minus}5} m/cycle) are found to be a function of the stress-intensity range, environment, fracture toughness and load ratio, and to show evidence of crack closure. Similarly under variable-amplitude cyclic loading conditions, crack-growth rates show transient accelerations following low-high block overloads and transient retardations following high-low block overloads or single tensile overloads, again analogous to behavior commonly observed in ductile meals. Cyclic crack-growth rates are observed at stress intensities as low as 50% of K{sub c}, and are typically some 7 orders of magnitude faster than corresponding stress-corrosion crack-growth rates under sustained-loading conditions. 23 refs., 6 figs.