The load dependence of hardness in alumina-silver composites

The room temperature Knoop micro-hardness properties of three alumina-silve r composites vis-a-vis a monolithic alumina have been investigated at diffe rent indentation loads. The composites have been developed using convention al pressureless sintering at 1550 degreesC and these consisted of 1.6, 3.38 and 5.01% by volume of silver particles. It has been shown that the measur ed Knoop hardness values of these materials sensitively depend on the appli ed load of indentation. But following an emerging analytical technique, the composites can be assigned some unique true hardness values, which are fun ctions of their silver content. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd and Techna S. r.l. All rights reserved.