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Advanced ceramic materials are attractive for use in environments that are too hostile for metals. Unfortunately, acceptance of ceramics in these applications has been limited because ceramics are subject to sudden failure by brittle fracture. The goal of this program is to produce acceptance criteria and appropriate verification tests for one specific component: ceramic heat exchanger tubes. The program has three major parts; NonDestructive Examination (NDE), Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), and Destructive Testing (DT). Because ceramics are subject to brittle fracture, the assessment of materials for conditions that could lead to failure is vital. This is the task of NDE. Acceptance criteria must be based on a model that can predict tube lifetime, given operating conditions, material characteristics, and possible flaws present. This is the task of LEFM. NDE examination results need to be compared to failure test results, and LEFM requires test data to create and verify the fracture model. This is the task of DT. (ERA citation 13:054532)