A unified aspect of power-law correlations for berkovich hardness testing of ceramics

To further investigate the behaviour of indented ceramics, we propose a systematic evaluation of all possible correlations between quantities involved in the definition of mechanical properties of this category of materials or allowing their approximate calculation. The work-of-indentation, the residual contact area, the maximum load, the maximum penetration depth and the other displacements are all analysed and compared using experimental data. Consistent results for the field of nanoindentation are then proposed with numerical data, graphs and tables. To show the degree of accuracy, we provided the correlation coefficients or the relative standard deviations., A unified scheme for all correlations is built for each material, relying on a single constant beta, which rules the indentation procedure. This result confirms the validity of Meyer's law as part of a more comprehensive approach connecting all mechanical quantities in a specific unified diagram. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.