What is fracture toughness Kc?
Fracture toughness, Kc, is the resistance of a material to failure from fracture starting from a preexisting crack. This definition can be mathematically expressed by the following expression: Kc = Y σ SQRT{π a} Where Y is a dimensionless factor dependent on: the geometry of the crack and material, the loading configuration (i.e. if the sample is subject to tension or bending), and the ratio of crack length to specimen width, b. is the amount of load (stress) applied to the specimen, and a is the crack length.
