An evaluation method of bridging stresses by the bending of a deep-notched specimen and its inverse analysis

An evaluation method of bridging stresses was developed on the basis of the bending of a deep-notched specimen by an inverse analysis. The inverse analysis program to determine bridging stresses from bending data is opened at the internet address (http:/www.ME.kurume-nct.ac.jp/~kmori/). Using the method, we evaluated the grain-bridging stresses of polycrystalline alumina ceramics with the mean grain size of 3 μ and 11 μ. The results obtained were as follows: (1) the mean grain size had little effect on the maximum bridging stress for alumina ceramics and, (2) there was no correlation between the maximum bridging stress and the mean bending strength for alumina ceramics.