Mechanical Properties of Material

The nature of stress-strain diagram changes significantly for Ceramic Materials. Typical stress-strain diagram for a ceramic material under tension and compression are shown below. The modulus of elasticity of ceramic materials is quite high, for example SiC has a modulus of elasticity of around 450 GPa which is comparable to metals like Tungsten (406 GPa). However, The presence of micro-cracks causes the brittle failure of ceramic materials under tension, though the same material under compression can withstand a much higher load.

Stress-Strain Diagram under Tensile and Compressive Load for Ceramic Material