Course Description
Learn the mechanical properties of ceramics and glasses for elastic properties, strength measurements, fracture parameters and indentation hardness
If you are an engineer, scientist, technician, or manager interested in the mechanical properties of ceramics and glasses, testing procedures, and the meaning of the testing results, then this is an excellent option for you.
This course addresses the mechanical properties of ceramics and glasses for elastic properties, strength measurements, fracture parameters and indentation hardness. Attendees will be exposed to how the structures of ceramics and glasses determine those properties, become acquainted with standard test methods, and understand the results. In addition, students will learn how the results of some tests may be used to design with ceramics and glasses. Students will also learn about post-mortem analysis of failures. Continuous fiber reinforced ceramics are not included.
Special topics include:
- Stress, Strain and Elastic Properties and their Measurement
- Theoretical Strength, Fracture, and Fracture Toughness / R-curves
- Measurement of Strength and Fracture Toughness / R-Curves
- Weibull Statistical Analysis of Strength, Standards, Effective Volume and Surface, Multimodal Analysis
- Flaws and Fractography
- Hardness and Its Measurement
- Thermal Shock
Attendees will lean the fundamentals of each specific topic and be exposed to how the structures of ceramics and glasses determine those properties. They will become acquainted with the standard test methods for the listed mechanical properties and be able to complete those tests, understanding the results. Attendees will learn how the results of some tests may be used to design with ceramics and glasses. Attendees will also learn about how fractography can be used to verify laboratory testing has been done properly as well as for post-mortem analysis of failures. They will gain a basic understanding of the mechanical properties and their measurement.
Course Format
17 hours of instruction | In-Person at ICACC 2026
Location
Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort
100 N Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach, FL 32118
*Employees of ACerS Corporate Partners receive the discounted Individual Member rate. Sapphire Corporate Partners receive an additional 20% discount; Diamond Corporate Partners receive an additional 30% discount. Please contact Customer Service or 614-890-4700 to register employees at the discounted Corporate Partner rates.
George Quinn
Mr. George Quinn is a consultant with expertise in mechanical properties of ceramics and glasses. He is a world authority on fractographic analysis of ceramics and glasses and he wrote the definitive book: “Fractography of Ceramics and Glasses” in 2007 that now is in its 3rd edition (2020). He retired from the National Institute for Standards and Technology NIST in January 2009 but continues there as a Guest Researcher. He taught courses on fractographic analysis of glasses and ceramics both privately and as constructor at Alfred University from 1996 to 2021. As a world authority on standardization, mechanical testing, materials science, and fractography, he is frequently consulted on failure analysis problems. He received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Northeastern University in 1973 and did graduate work at Northeastern and MIT.
He is the author of 250 papers on topics including fractography, mechanical property characterization, standardization, and percolation theory. He has written three Military, 15 ASTM, and 4 ISO standards. Quinn created two standard reference materials for hardness as well as the world’s only standard reference material for KIc. He has edited five books and has one patent. He was Chairman or Vice-chairman of ASTM Committee C-28 from 1986–1997; Chairman of Versailles Advanced Materials and Standards Technical Working Area #3 from 1990–2000; and has led five ISO working groups. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Testing and Materials and The American Ceramic Society. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland from 2008 to 2016. He was The American Ceramic Society Educator of the Year in 2020.
