Abstract
Recent approaches to toughening of ceramics are mainly carried out by incorporation of fillers such as particles, whiskers and fillerments into ceramics matrix. In this study, three types of SiC fillers, namely, thin or thick whiskers, or rod like particle are used to fabricate composites. The diameters of fillers were 0.3, 0.7 and 2.5μm, respectively. The toughening behavior and micro-structures of these composites are examined in relation to the size effect of these fillers. Since fracture strength and fracture toughness were both measured for specimens, fracture mechanical analysis was used to determine size of critical flaws.
