Fracture morphology and mechanism of a directionally solidified Al2O3/Y3Al5O12 eutectic single crystal.

The strength and fracture behavior of a directionally solidified Al 2 O 3 /Y 3 Al 5 O 12 eutectic single-crystal were investigated. To identify and classify the toughening mechanism, fractography of the single-crystal was thoroughly analyzed. It was observed that the interfaces between Al 2 O 3 and Y 3 Al 5 O 12 , which hindered the crack propagation, and nm-sized (111) cleavage planes appearing along the tearing ridge of Y 3 Al 5 O 12 markedly improved the Al 2 O 3 /Y 3 Al 5 O 12 eutectic single-crystal toughness. These results could improve understanding of the microstructure design and deformation mechanism of the Al 2 O 3 /Y 3 Al 5 O 12 eutectic crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]