Influence of Horizontal Force and Round-Bar Contact on Contact Strength of Ceramics

Ceramics strength under a contact stress with horizontal force was analyzed using finite element method. When ceramic plate was compressed with a ball or round bar, it was found that the occurring position of a surface crack under the compressive condition by round bar becomes further from the contact boundary compared with that by a ball. On the other hand, the surface crack taking part in failure becomes larger. The maximum contact stress and maximum stress intensity factor at tip of a surface flaw slightly outside contact boundary become larger with increasing of horizontal force. And the position of their maximum value approaches the contact boundary. As seen in experimental results, the surface crack ocurrence position was found to approach the contact boundary with increasing of horizontal force.