Fracture Toughness
Fracture toughness is a measure of a material's ability to resist crack propagation. In space and astronautical engineering, fracture toughness is an important property to consider when designing structures that will be subjected to high stress and potential impact damage. It is particularly important for materials used in spacecraft and launch vehicles, which must withstand extreme conditions during launch and in the harsh environment of space. Fracture toughness is typically measured using standardized tests, such as the ASTM E399 test, which involves creating a pre-crack in a sample and then subjecting it to increasing levels of stress until it fractures. The results of these tests can be used to determine the critical stress intensity factor, which is a measure of the material's resistance to crack propagation.
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