Fractal model for estimating fracture toughness of carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum oxide

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3445869· OSTI ID:21476320

Rishabh, Abhishek; Joshi, Milind R; Balani, Kantesh ^[1]

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1. Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

The current work focuses on predicting the fracture toughness of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ceramic matrix composites using a modified Mandelbrot's fractal approach. The first step confirms that the experimental fracture toughness values fluctuate within the fracture toughness range predicted as per the modified fractal approach. Additionally, the secondary reinforcements [such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs)] have shown to enhance the fracture toughness of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Conventional fractural toughness evaluation via fractal approach underestimates the fracture toughness by considering the shortest crack path. Hence, the modified Mandelbrot's fractal approach considers the crack propagation along the CNT semicircumferential surface (three-dimensional crack path propagation) for achieving an improved fracture toughness estimation of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-CNT composite. The estimations obtained in the current approach range within 4% error regime of the experimentally measured fracture toughness values of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-CNT composite.

• OSTI ID: 21476320
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 107, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3445869; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CARBON
CERAMICS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKS
FRACTALS
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
MATRIX MATERIALS
NANOTUBES
REINFORCED MATERIALS
SURFACES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
NANOSTRUCTURES
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS