A further insight into spherical indentation: Ring crack formation in a brittle La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3 perovskite

It is known that theoretical considerations of fracture under loading by a spherical indenter are based on the concept of pre-existing cracks. However, nucleation and growth of the critical crack could occur during indentation, as happens during microcracking. The goal of the presented research is to develop a new concept of fracture under spherical indentation in a brittle elastic material taking into account the possibility of critical crack nucleation and growth during loading. La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3 (LSGM) perovskite has been chosen as a polycrystalline elastic low fracture toughness ceramic to perform indentation using a tungsten carbide spherical indenter. Experimental measurements of ring crack radii for well-polished LSGM cannot be explained within the framework of the pre-existing crack hypothesis. The local risk calculated using the concept of pre-existing cracks gives a most probable range of ring crack radii that does not match the radii measured experimentally. However, the local risk calculated using the assumption of critical crack nucleation and formation during spherical indentation results in a most probable range of ring crack radii which exhibits good agreement with the experimental data. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.