Structural Integrity in Severe Thermal Environments

The theory of structural stability of ceramics in severe thermal environments was explored via the use of precracking. It was shown that structural stability should be possible when an array of precracks is used, but that the precracks required for this purpose are relatively large. The approach is thus limited to systems which are not required to sustain a significant mechanical stress. Preliminary quenching experiments on short cylinders confirmed that stabilization can be achieved by precracking.