Reinforcement by crack-tip blunting in porous ceramics

A crack-tip blunting mechanism in porous ceramics was identified in this study. The reinforcement by crack tip blunting in porous ceramics was analyzed quantitatively, based on a grain fracture model. The investigation revealed that the crack tip blunting increases the fracture toughness of porous ceramics, depending on pore morphology and grain arrangement. The theoretical predictions were in good agreement with the experimental results.