Abstract
A superposed combination of the Bousinesq and blister field adequately describes the stress field in an indented subsurface. A method based on energy conservation is used to predict the value of the strength of the blister field in terms of experimentally determinable mechanical parameters, hardness, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio. The predicted values are compared with those measured experimentally by indenting copper and alumina by 150° and 90° cones. The implications of fracture induced in alumina samples by indentation are discussed.

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