FERROELASTIC TOUGHENING IN BISMUTH VANADATE

Bismuth vanadate has been used as a model system to examine toughening by stress-induced domain motion in a ferroelastic material. Fracture toughnesses in the ferroelastic and paraelastic states have been compared. Toughening and R-curve behavior have been observed in the ferroelastic state. Single crystals of BiVO4 show domain nucleation and propagation under compressive loading and domain generation during fracture. The increase in toughening in the ferroelastic state can be explained by a combination of crack deflection and domain wall motion, the latter contributing to R-curve behavior.