Fracture behavior of brittle particulate composites consisting of a glass matrix and glass or ceramic particles with elastic property mismatch

The aim of this work is two-fold: i) elaborating dense and transparent inorganic glass composites with improved fracture properties, and ii) testing the theoretical analysis proposed in [1] and based on Poisson's ratio mismatch. Particulate composites, consisting of glass or ceramic particles embedded in a soda-lime-silica glass matrix, were synthesized and their fracture behavior was studied by means of the Single-Edge Precraked Beam (SEPB) and Double Cleavage Drilled Compression (DCDC) methods, using in situ experiments with X-ray tomography where possible. An important effect of the T-stress on the fracture toughness (K_Ic) was observed in the case of DCDC experiments. K_Ic is increased by about 40 % by incorporating 7 vol. % amorphous silica beads or SrAl₂O₄:Eu,Dy ceramic particles (SAED) with a 40 μm mean particle size. It is suggested that toughening results from the crack front trapping and pinning at particle sites and from the tortuous crack path in the case of a-SiO₂ particles, and from the contribution of the intrinsic fracture surface energy of the ceramic particles, which are cleaved by the propagating crack, in the case of the SAED particles. The thermally induced stress field is believed to play a major role in the case of a-SiO₂ particles. Two glass grades possessing Young's moduli similar to the one of the matrix but much larger Poisson's ratios were used to produce glass beads. However, the incorporation of these latter beads in the matrix was found to have a minor incidence on the fracture behavior.