Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A method for determining worst-case cyclic fatigue thresholds in grain-bridging ceramics by quantifying the role of bridging is demonstrated for a model alumina. Crack-growth properties for both long and short (< 2 mm) cracks emanating from machined notches (root radii, (rho) ~; 15 - 150 (mu)m) were investigated. When compared as a function of the applied stress-intensity range (delta K), growth rates (da/dN) were far higher and fatigue thresholds (Delta)KTH were markedly lower with short cracks, with growth being observable at the lowest driving forces for short cracks emanating from razor micronotches ((rho)is approximately equal to 15 (mu)m). For growth rates < 10-8 m/cycle, da/dN vs. (delta)K data for short cracks merged with the steady-state data for long cracks after ~;2 mm of extension.