Study of Transformation Toughening Behavior of an Edge Through Crack in Zirconia Ceramics with the Cohesive Zone Model

Abstract

The transformation toughening behavior of a finite edge through crack in zirconia ceramics is studied with a three-dimensional finite element model. The continuum-based constitutive law of zirconia ceramics is implemented into a user-defined subroutine in ABAQUS to simulate the loading and unloading mechanical response of zirconia ceramics. We have given up the small-scale transformation assumption. The propagation behavior of a finite edge through crack in a zirconia plate is simulated at the structural level with the cohesive zone model and compared with the case in which the material is purely elastic. The influences of the stress state, the cohesive strength, the shear transformation strain and the activation energy threshold on the size of the transformation zone and the crack propagation behavior are systematically discussed. The numerical method and results presented in this work may be helpful for the design of engineering components made of zirconia ceramics.