Effect of Residual Stresses on the Fracture of Ground Ceramics

Abstract

Grinding induces resiual stresses and cracks at and near the surfaces of ceramic workpieces. The residual stresses in several ground ceramics are measured using the curvature method. Four‐point bend tests are conducted to measure the fracture strength of the ground specimens. A fracture mechanics analysis includes the measured residual stress to calculate the grinding‐induced surface crack size. It is shown that the residual stresses sometimes have a significant effect on the strength‐controlling flaw size.