FAILURE OF CERAMICS

The rupture behaviour of ceramics is dictated by the microstructural d efects inherent in the material, present in large number and distribut ed randomly. These defects exert a fundamental influence on the ruptur e characteristics, generally measured thanks to the breaking stress. T his influence is examined in this article, then various statistical ap proaches to cleavage fracture are presented. Finally, the factors affe cting the forecast of ceramic rupture are discussed.