Strength degradations in silicon nitride ceramics subject to damage from contact with hard spheres are investigated. Strengths against indentation load, number of cycles in contact, or stress-rate parameter are reported and compared with theoretical models. Silicon nitride ceramics are prepared by nitride pressureless sintering (NPS) process, which process is the continuous process of nitridation reaction of Si metal combined with subsequent pressureless sintering. Microstructure characterizations reveal silicon nitride fabricated by NPS process exhibits a quasi-plastic mode, with continuous strength loss beyond a load above the onset of yield, and falloff at high number of cycles, > 105 at contact load, P = 950 N , using WC sphere r = 1.98 mm . The strength degradation is substantially faster by dynamic fatigue. Failures originated from contact damages, quasi-plastic microcrack zones, with developing radial cracks during strength test. The implication is that quasi-plastic damage of NPS silicon nitride itself can preserve benefits from the inherent higher damage tolerance at lower number of cycles of contacts, but fatigue susceptibility at multicycle contacts and lower stressing rate.
