A failure scenario of ceramic laminates with strong interfaces

The paper deals with a description of the specific crack behaviour in the layered alumina-zirconia ceramics. Attention is devoted to the differences in the stress field description in the vicinity of the crack front. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional numerical models are developed for this purpose. The main aim is to clarify crack behaviour in the compressive layer and provide computational tools for estimation of crack behaviour in the field of strong residual stresses. The crack propagation is investigated on the basis of linear elastic fracture mechanics. Fracture parameters are computed numerically and by routines of authors. The sharp change of the crack propagation direction is estimated using the Sih's criterion based on the strain energy density factor, and conditions for crack bifurcation are determined. Estimated crack behaviour is qualitatively in a good agreement with experimental observations.