Damage formation, fatigue behavior and strength properties of ZrO[2]-based ceramics

It is suggested that a non-destructive testing technique using a three-dimensional X-raytomography be applied to detecting internal structural defects and monitoring damage formation in a ceramic composite structure subjected to a bending load. Three-point bending tests are used to investigate the fatigue behavior and mechanical and physical properties of medical-grade ZrO[2]-based ceramics. The bending strength and flexural modulus are derived under static conditions at a loading rate of 2 mm/min. The fatigue strength and fatigue limit under dynamic loading are investigated at a frequency of 10 Hz in three stress ranges: 0.91-0.98, 0.8-0.83, and 0.73-0.77 MPa of the static bending strength. The average values of the bending strength and flexural modulus of sintered specimens are 43 MPa and 22 GPa, respectively. The mechanical propertiesof the ceramics are found to be similar to those of bone tissues. The testing results lead us to conclude that the fatigue limit obtained from 10{5} stress cycles is in the range 33-34 MPa, i.e. it accounts for about 75% of the static bending strength for the test material