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Small‐scaled non‐standard specimens with chevron notch (CN) from Zirconia ceramics are probed both numerically and experimentally by wedging. The original construction in the form of double cantilever beam (DCB) with CN is considered for the fracture toughness determination of ZrO2 specimens. The fracture toughness is determined in experiment on wedging of DCB with CN, with application of analytical formula derived by one of the authors and maximum force, bending the cantilever's arm. The 3D finite‐element simulations of wedge splitting test are performed using two approaches: cohesive zone modeling (CZM) approach and element elimination technique (EET). The specific fracture energy defined in experiments is taken as the input parameter for CZM simulations of crack propagation. The effect of parameters, namely, cohesive strength, and friction coefficient, between ceramic wedge and ceramic cantilever, is considered. Different traction–separation laws are implemented, and the resulting force–displacement curves are compared with experimentally obtained ones. In the CZM approach, considering the fracture energy and the predefined crack path, matching of experimental and numerical results is not achieved. In EET, in which the restrictions on the crack paths and the requirements for inputting the fracture energy are not imposed, a good match with the experimental results is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraordinary combination of strength and toughness attained by nature's highly sophisticated structural design in nacre has inspired the synthesis of novel layered nanomaterials. The object of the present paper is a nanostructured layered TiO2/PE‐composite, mimicking the nacre's structure. In the present work, the influence of the thickness ratio between organic and inorganic phases and the influence of mineral bridges on the Young's modulus of the composites is analyzed analytically and numerically. By application of these findings in a modeling approach, the mechanical properties of artificially produced materials can be predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]