This document describes a test method for the determination of the fracture toughness of monolithic ceramic thin plates at room temperature by the single-edge precracked plate method or the single-edge V-notch plate method.

This document is intended for use with monolithic ceramics and whisker- or particulate-reinforced ceramics which are regarded as macroscopically homogeneous. It does not include continuous-fibre-reinforced ceramics composites. This document is applicable to ceramic thin plates with a thickness of 0,2 mm to <1,0 mm.

The single-edge V-notch plate method can be applied to monolithic ceramics with a grain size larger than about 1 μm. The use of this method is inappropriate for yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystal material (Y-TZP), which consists of homogeneous fine submicron grains. The method might also be unsuitable for some other very tough or soft ceramics in which a sharp crack does not form at the root of the V-notch.

This document is for material development, material comparison, quality assurance, characterization, reliability and design data generation.