Compression Fatigue Properties And Damage Mechanisms Of A Bioinspired Nacre-Like Ceramic-Polymer Composite

Fatigue resistance is invariably critical for structural materials, but is rarely considered in the development of new bioinspired materials. Here the fatigue behavior and damage mechanisms of a nacre-like ceramic (yttria-stabilized zirconia) polymer (polymethyl methacrylate) composite, which resembles human tooth enamel in its stiffness and hardness, were investigated under cyclic compression to simulate potential service conditions. The composite has a brick-and-mortar structure which exhibits a staircase like fracture behavior; it displays a transition in cracking mode from the fracture of the ceramic bricks to separation along the inter-brick polymer phase with increasing stress amplitude. The nacre-like structure functions to induce crack deflection, increase the roughness of the crack surfaces, and promote the mutual sliding between bricks during fracture; this results in high fatigue resistance, which enhances the potential of this composite for dental applications. (c) 2021 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.