Determination of Surface Residual Stresses in Machined Ceramics Using Indentation Fracture

Machining produces surface residual stresses which significantly influence the strength and wear resistance of ceramic components. As new methods are developed for machining ceramics, a quick and reliable technique for measurement of residual stresses would be valuable in assessing the viability of these methods from a residual stress perspective. The residual stresses on ground and polished (i.e. machined) surfaces of soda-lime glass, Ni-Zn ferrite, and silicon nitride have been measured using an indentation technique with a Vickers indenter. In this technique, the surface extent of the median/radial cracks produced by the Vickers indenter in machined and in annealed ceramics are measured. These are then combined with a fracture mechanics analysis to estimate the surface residual stresses produced by machining. In order to determine the validity of the indentation technique for estimating machining residual stresses, these stresses were also measured using an X-ray diffraction and a deflection method. The residual stress values determined using the indentation technique in the machined ceramics were found to be reasonably close to those obtained from the X-ray diffraction and deflection methods. Since the indentation technique is relatively simple and easily applied, it offers a promising method for evaluating surface residual stresses in machined ceramics.