Su, X; Zhang, Z; Williamson, M; Vuksic, M; Koko, A; Marrow, T J (2026) Measurement of cleavage toughness of brittle materials by local elastic field analysis. Acta Materialia, 304. 121797 ISSN 13596454

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Abstract

Measurement of the fracture toughness of materials at the microscale is critical for ensuring structural integrity and understanding of fracture behaviour. Existing approaches rely on simplified assumptions or complex sample preparation that challenge interpretation and reproduction. This work presents a novel method to obtain cleavage fracture toughness through measurements by high (angular) resolution electron backscatter diffraction of the critical elastic field at an arrested crack tip, achieved by double-nanoindentation. A case study in single-crystal silicon, a representative brittle material, demonstrates the reproducibility and reliability of the measurements. The potential application to investigate intergranular cleavage in brittle polycrystalline materials is discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Fracture toughness, Full-field strain measurement, Microscale testing, HR-EBSD, Stress intensity factor, Nano-indentation
Subjects:	Advanced Materials > Microstructural Characterisation
Divisions:	Materials and Mechanical Metrology
Identification number/DOI:	10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121797
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2026 08:57
URI:	https://eprintspublications.npl.co.uk/id/eprint/10439