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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals
Published on: November 22, 2021
A nanoscale mechanism of fatigue in ionic solids
Emily A A Jarvis1, Emily A Carter
1National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8380, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8380, USA.
Abstract:
We employ periodic density functional theory to explore the effect of cyclic tensile loading on the behavior of alumina in the threshold region of crack formation. We find evidence for nanoscale fatigue when the alumina lattice is subjected to uniaxial tensile loading and unloading and tensile stresses normal to the applied load. It is possible that such atomic-scale fatigue impacts the durability of ceramics, since the highly ionic bonding requires near-ideal lattice structures in order to maintain cohesive strength.
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