Statistical analysis of fracture toughness of SiC ceramics determined by Vickers indentation method

In this paper fracture toughness, KIC, of CVD SiC ceramics was determined by measuring the crack lengths associate with a Vickers indentation. It is well known that the measured fracture of brittle ceramics shows large variability. Therefore, the probabilistic characteristics of fracture toughness were analysed by a two–parameter Weibull distribution function, with scale parameter, K0, and the Weibull modulus, m. These parameters were determined by the linear regression method for KIC data measured at load of 9.81, 29.43, 49.01 and 98.1 N, respectively. It was found that the measured fracture toughness follow a Weibull distribution.