LAUSR

Abstract The fracture of micro-cantilever Al 2 O 3 specimens containing single grain boundaries is quantified via in situ bending experiments performed in the transmission electron microscope. The type of grain boundary complexion plays a dominant role in determining the fracture response, while the dopant chemistry has a secondary effect for the same complexion type. More ‘ordered’ complexions, those containing sub-monolayer adsorbates, are tougher than the undoped material. The behaviors of SiO 2 and Y 2 O 3 doped Al 2 O 3 with different complexions are compared and contrasted. In general, grain boundaries exhibiting more ‘disordered’ complexions types, those with multilayer adsorbates, are embrittled relative to undoped Al 2 O 3 .