The high temperature tensile and compressive deformation characteristics of magnesia doped alumina

The mechanical characteristics of alumina have not yet been characterized completely in tension due in part to strain hardening accompanying grain growth and premature cavitation failure. Tensile tests were conducted on fine grained magnesia doped alumina over a range of strain rates, grain sizes and temperatures to evaluate the stress exponent, inverse grain size exponent and activation energy. Constant stress compression creep tests were also carried out under a similar range of experimental conditions. Extensive microstructural characterization after deformation indicated that there was considerable grain growth during deformation; however, the grains retained their initially equiaxed structure after significant deformation. Although a standard plot of strain rate versus stress indicated a stress exponent of ~2, a complete analysis including the compensation of data for concurrent grain growth revealed that true stress exponent was ~1, consistent with diffusion creep. It is argued that grain rearrangement processes accompanying grain growth will tend to mask the development of an elongated grain structure predicted by diffusion creep processes. In contrast to several ceramics with a significant amount of glassy phase, there is no significant difference between the elevated temperature tensile and compressive behavior of alumina.