FRACTURE BEHAVIOUR OF FUSED QUARTZ PARTICULATE COMPOSITES

The fracture behaviour of the fused quartz particulate composites was investigated. It showed that the volume fraction of particles dispersed in the matrix leads to direct dependencies of the elastic modulus and fracture surface energy; inverse changes in bending strength as well as increasing in art exponential relation with work of fracture and thermal shock damage resistance parameter. The decohesion of the weak interface between particle and matrix may be considered as the origin of toughening.