Bridging stresses in sintered reaction-bonded Si3N4 from COD measurements

Crack opening displacement measurements on a sintered reaction-bonded Si3N4 ceramic obtained in bending tests with edge-V-notched specimens were evaluated. A procedure is proposed which allows a straight-forward evaluation of the experimental results in order to obtain the bridging stresses as a function of crack opening displacements. Bridging stresses up to 160 MPa were found acting over a distance of about 0.4 μm. In addition crack profile measurements were performed for Vickers indentation cracks which could approximately be described by use of the bridging relation obtained.