Uniaxial tension-compression fatigue behavior of 3-mol%-yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals was investigated. Hysteresis in the stress-plastic strain curve featured cumulative plastic strain and weakened elastic stiffness. Fracture statistics in terms of cycle-to-failure depends strongly on the maximum stress and less on the stress amplitude. Preexisting processing flaws were identified as the fracture origins in all cases. We suggest that microcracking is the dominant mechanism of fatigue damage, that nucleation of fatigue crack is usually not necessary, and that fatigue lifetime is primarily controlled by crack propagation, which is most sensitive to the maximum stress. [

No abstract

Fatigue crack propagation in 3Y-TZP was investigated using controlled surface flaws. A unique growth law strongly dependent on the maximum stress intensity factor and quadratically dependent on the amplitude of the range of stress intensity factor was established. This growth law was found to apply for both surface flaws and internal flaws and could be used to predict fatigue lifetime. The presence of residual stress altered the growth mechanics so that an inverse growth rate dependence on the applied stress, reminiscent of the so-called "short-crack behavioe was manifested. Fatigue striations resulting from alternate overload fracture and fatigue fracture during stress cycling were observed. The appearance of striations varied with the R ratio and was very sensitive to the loading condition and crack geometry.[