Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
The static fatigue behavior of sintered Y2O3/A12O3-fluxed Si3N4 in air is controlled by slow crack growth or creep fracture. Partial devitrification of the amorphous grain boundary phase at 1000°C and 1100°C improves the static fatigue resistance with specimens surviving up to 1500 hrs. during stress rupture experiments. In this study the early stages of partial devitrification during static fatigue testing at 1000°C are investigated by conventional and analytical transmission electron microscopy with emphasis on nucleation and growth of δ-Y2Si2O7 and X1-Y2SiO5 and possible constraints from different stress states. The results show that the stress state does not affect the nature of the secondary phase assemblage. However, the amount of crystallization is higher within the tensile region of the flexural specimens than in areas which experienced compressive stresses.