Size-scaling of tensile failure stress in boron carbide

Abstract

Weibull strength-size-scaling in a rotary-ground, hot-pressed boron carbide is described when strength test coupons sampled effective areas from the very small (~ 0.001 square millimeters) to the very large (~ 40,000 square millimeters). Equibiaxial flexure and Hertzian testing were used for the strength testing. Characteristic strengths for several different specimen geometries are analyzed as a function of effective area. Characteristic strength was found to substantially increase with decreased effective area, and exhibited a bilinear relationship. Machining damage limited strength as measured with equibiaxial flexure testing for effective areas greater than ~ 1 mm2 and microstructural-scale flaws limited strength for effective areas less than 0.1 mm2 for the Hertzian testing. The selections of a ceramic strength to account for ballistically-induced tile deflection and to account for expanding cavity modeling are considered in context with the measured strength-size-scaling.