Evaluation of a Fundamental Approach for the Statistical Analysis of Fracture

Generalized relations between the strength distribution function and derivatives of the fracture probability are developed for five widely used testing methods for measuring the strengths of ceramic materials. The derived relations for three of these methods are used to analyze room‐temperature fracture strength data for hot‐pressed silicon nitride. Fracture of this material is shown to be controlled by internal flaws at strength levels up to and including the range where the tensile and flexural distributions overlap, but it is primarily surface‐flaw‐controlled toward the upper end of the flexural distribution.