Porous LSCF/Dense 3YSZ Interface Fracture Toughness Measured by Single Cantilever Beam Wedge Test

TL;DR

This study measures the fracture toughness of the LSCF/YSZ interface using a novel wedge test, revealing how firing temperature and layer thickness influence failure modes and interface strength.

Contribution

It introduces a single cantilever beam wedge test method to quantify the fracture toughness of porous LSCF/dense YSZ interfaces, providing new insights into interface failure mechanisms.

Findings

Adhesive failure increases with firing temperature.

Intrinsic fracture toughness of the interface is about 11 J/m².

Firing temperature affects the failure mode but not the intrinsic toughness.

Abstract

Sandwich specimens were prepared by firing a thin inter-layer of porous La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-d (LSCF) to bond a thin tetragonal yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) beam to a thick YSZ substrate. Fracture of the joint was evaluated by introducing a wedge between the two YSZ adherands so that the stored energy in the thin YSZ cantilever beam drives a stable crack in the adhesive bond and allows the critical energy release rate for crack extension (fracture toughness) to be measured. The crack path in most specimens showed a mixture of adhesive failure (at the YSZ-LSCF interface) and cohesive failure (within the LSCF). It was found that the extent of adhesive fracture increased with firing temperature and decreased with LSCF layer thickness. The adhesive failures were mainly at the interface between the LSCF and the thin YSZ beam and FEM modelling revealed that this is due to asymmetric stresses in the LSCF. Within the firing temperature range of 1000-1150C, the bonding fracture toughness appears to have a strong dependence on firing temperature. However, the intrinsic adhesive fracture toughness of the LSCF/YSZ interface was estimated to be 11 Jm2 and was not firing temperature dependent within the temperature range investigated.