This article describes testing and characterization methods of ceramics for chemical analysis, phase analysis, microstructural analysis, macroscopic property characterization, strength and proof testing, thermophysical property testing, and nondestructive evaluation techniques. Chemical analysis is carried out by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and plasma-emission spectrophotometry. Phase analysis is done by X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic methods, thermal analysis, and quantitative analysis. Techniques used for microstructural analysis include reflected light microscopy using polarized light, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, and wavelength dispersive analysis of X-rays. Macroscopic property characterization involves measurement of porosity, density, and surface area. The article describes testing methods such as room and high-temperature strength test methods, proof testing, fracture toughness measurement, and hardness and wear testing. It also explains methods for determining thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and emissivity of ceramics and glass and measurement of these properties as a function of temperature.

This article reviews the general mechanical properties and test methods commonly used for ceramics and three categories of polymers, namely, fibers, plastics, and elastomers. The mechanical test methods for determining the tensile strength, yield strength, yield point, and elongation of plastics include the short-term tensile test, the compressive strength test, the flexural strength test, and the heat deflection temperature test. The most commonly used tests for impact performance of plastics are the Izod notched-beam test, the Charpy notched-beam test, and the dart penetration test. Two basic test methods for a group or strand of fibers are the single-filament tension and tow tensile tests. Room temperature strength tests, high-temperature strength tests, and proof tests are used for testing the properties of ceramics.

The design process for ceramic materials is more complex than that of metals because of low-strain tolerance, low fracture toughness and brittleness. The application of structural ceramics to engineering systems hinges on the functional benefits to be derived and is manifested in the conceptual design for acceptable reliability. This article discusses the design considerations for the use of structural ceramics for engineering applications. It describes the conceptual design and deals with fast fracture reliability, lifetime reliability, joints, attachments, interfaces, and thermal shock in detailed design procedure. The article provides information on the proof testing of ceramics, and presents a short note on public domain software that helps determine the reliability of a loaded ceramic component. The article concludes with several design scenarios for gas turbine components, turbine wheels, ceramic valves, and sliding parts.

Fracture control is a systematic process to prevent fracture during operation that depends on the criticality of the component, the economic consequences of the structures being out of service, and the damage that would be caused by a fracture failure. This article describes the key principles of fracture control and reviews the concepts of damage tolerance analysis. It further presents practical guidelines to obtain useful and reasonable answers from damage tolerance analysis. The article concludes with information on fracture mechanics and fatigue design.

This article outlines the requirements and methods associated with the inspection of brazements. It emphasizes the incorporation of these requirements into the overall quality system. The article reviews the acceptance limits, design limitations, and nondestructive and destructive inspection techniques involved in the brazement inspection. Selected case studies are also provided for further reference.

This article provides an overview of the relationships between torque, angle-of-turn, tension, and friction and explains how they are measured and evaluated. It focuses on the principle, test equipment, procedure, evaluation, and test report of various testing methods, namely, friction coefficient testing, torque tension testing, locknut testing, and angular ductility and rotational capacity tests. The article reviews the basic methods and fundamental principles for mechanical testing of externally and internally threaded fasteners and bolted joints. The test methods for externally threaded fasteners include product hardness, proof load, axial and wedge tension testing of full-sized products, tension testing of machined test specimens, and total extension at fracture testing. Product hardness, proof load, and cone proof-load test are the test methods for internally threaded fasteners. The article concludes with a description of torque-angle signature analysis and the specification of measurement accuracy for torque and clamp force.

This article reviews the planning of fatigue experiments, including the structure of a test plan, randomization, and nuisance variables. The statistical characterization of the S/N (stress/life) or e/N (strain/life) response of a single material tested under a single condition is discussed. The techniques for defining a mean fatigue curve and evaluating scatter or variability about that mean are explained. The article presents the standard techniques for statistical characterization of the fatigue strength or fatigue limit of a single material by use of the Probit method, the up-and-down (staircase) method, and two-point procedures. Stress-level selection methods are also presented. The article discusses the comparison of the fatigue behavior of two or more materials for data generated at a single stress or strain level. Treatments to compare data generated over a range of stress or strain levels are included. The article also summarizes the consolidation of fatigue data generated at different conditions.

This article discusses several examples of fatigue load histories that intentionally create artificial fracture-surface markings during testing such that they are measurable by post-test quantitative fractography (QF). It reviews a number of methods for providing fatigue fracture-surface markers to aid QF of fatigue crack growth (FCG). These methods are based on load changes, including reordering the basic load histories and/or adding loads to them. The article also provides some guidelines for obtaining recognizable FCG markers for a variety of load histories and crack-growth regimes for coupons, components, and, particularly, full-scale fatigue tests.