MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE OF QUARTZ‐TEMPERED CERAMICS: PART I, STRENGTH AND TOUGHNESS*

TLDR

Quartz tempering is employed in ceramics to modify mechanical properties, yet its influence on strength and toughness remains poorly understood. The authors investigate how quartz temper affects the physical and mechanical properties of clay ceramics and aim to clarify the underlying mechanisms. They assessed mechanical behavior by measuring bulk density, porosity, impervious density, fracture morphology, energy dissipation, Young’s modulus, initial fracture toughness, and flexural strength. Toughness rises markedly with increasing quartz volume fraction, a trend explained by a model that incorporates crack distribution around the grains.

Abstract

The effect of quartz temper on the physical and mechanical properties of clay ceramics and the elucidation of the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for these effects are presented here. Characteristics studied included bulk density, open and closed porosity, density of impervious portion and fracture morphology. Mechanical behaviour was studied by measuring energy dissipation during fracture, Young's modulus, initial fracture toughness and strength in flexure. The significant increase in toughness with quartz volume fraction is explained by the development of a model that accounts for the crack distribution around the grains. The archaeological implications of the work are discussed on the basis of all the parameters that might affect the potter's choices of raw materials.