Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 February 2015
A micro-sized fracture testing method has been applied to investigate fracture toughness of alpha-Nb5Si3. Chevron-notched single crystal specimens with a size of 3 x 3 x 15 μm3 were prepared in a grain of polycrystalline alpha-Nb5Si3 by focused ion beam, FIB, technique. Fracture tests were conducted using a nanoindenter at room temperature and linear load-displacement curves and smooth fracture surfaces were obtained. This fracture behavior was presumed to be brittle fracture similar to bulk alpha-Nb5Si3. The average of fracture toughness KQ is 3.45 ± 0.29 MPa√m under a small-scale yielding condition.