• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.5-13
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• 1995

Various techniques to measure fracture toughness which is an important parameter to predict fracture behavious of structural materials have been reported. Among these mathods, this paper describes the micro-Vickers indentation crack method to estimate the fracture toughness of some WC-Co composites. Two indentation crack patterns (such as radial-median cracks (orhalf-penny cracks) and Palmqvist cracks generated during indentation) are referred precisely. The fracture toughness of WC-4.7wt%Co, WC-6wr%Co and WE-9wr%Co composites were estimated by using some equations given by Shetty et al., Nihara et al. in this study. We show the reliability of indentation method by comparing the results with those from literatures. The appropriate equation to estimate the fracture toughness in the case of WC-Co composite is given. In addition, some technical informations in terms of the crack length by indentation in estimating the existence of the surface residual stress that prevents to obtain an accurate fracture toughness are presented.