Study on the pore/scratch-strength response of ZrB2–SiC ceramic via laser processing

Defects, such as pores and scratches, are inevitably introduced during preparation and processing of ceramics. How they affect the mechanical properties of materials is worthy of attention. Here, artificial surface pores and notches introduced by femtosecond/nanosecond lasers are regarded as inherent pore- and scratch-like defects. Bending test results indicated that a small-sized flaw with the length and depth of ~ 10 μm could lead to a strength reduction up to ~ 40% in sharp flaw case, while only slight attenuation (