A threshold stress intensity factor at the onset of stable crack extension of Knoop indentation cracks

Observation of the stable growth of indentation cracks in controlled bending tests is an attractive tool to study the R-curve behaviour of ceramic materials. In some crack growth experiments deviations from the ideal behaviour were observed––i.e. the cracks did not grow immediately upon application of the external load, but only after a certain applied stress is exceeded. The existence of such a threshold stress intensity for the onset of stable crack growth can be described by a disbalance of the residual stress intensity at the indentation crack tip and the fracture toughness after completion of the indentation cycle. A fracture mechanical description of this phenomenon is presented. The consequences which arise for the evaluation of crack growth data are explained by means of measured crack extension curves of Knoop indentation cracks in silicon nitride.