ABSTRACT
The mechanical properties of a material determine its limitations for structural applications where the material is required to sustain a load. This chapter reviews the basic principles of elasticity and strength1–4 and develops an understanding of why the actual strength of a ceramic component is far below its theoretical strength. This information is concurrently applied to an evaluation of the property data measurement techniques and the limitations that must be considered when using these data for material selection and component design. The chapter discusses some of the factors that cause brittle behavior, such as the stress concentration at microstructural defects. It reviews the mechanisms of plastic deformation. The typical metal fractures in a ductile mode with initial elastic deformation followed by a yield point and plastic deformation. The metal elongates and decreases in cross section during plastic deformation. Plastic deformation at room temperature involves a slip between planes of atoms under the influences of an applied stress.
