The mechanical strength of ceramic honeycomb monoliths as determined by simple experiments : Advanced materials

Ceramic materials are brittle and prone to cracking when subject to restraining forces or thermal transients. The mechanical strength of ceramic materials must be known in order to assess their durability in service. This paper addresses a means by which the mechanical properties of ceramic honeycomb materials can be determined. Very simple calculations and experiments are used to estimate Young's modulus, tensile strength, thermal expansion coefficient and thermal diffusivity. Material properties for porous ceramics may be calculated from those of the dense parent material, and the properties of honeycomb monoliths can be calculated given the properties of the porous cell wall.