A study of the failure wave phenomenon in glasses compressed at different levels

Abstract

Shock-wave experiments are performed with four different kinds of glasses of different hardness compressed at different levels. The experiments with the glass specimens consisting of layered thin plates confirm the appearance of a failure wave in elastically compressed soda lime glass, heavy flint glass, K8 crown glass, and fused quartz, although the relationships between the Hugoniot elastic limits and the failure thresholds of these glasses are different. The failure wave process could occur as the stress grows above the failure threshold up to the stress level at which plastic deformation starts. The propagation speed of the failure wave in soda lime glass depends on the stress above the failure threshold, and does not depend on the propagation distance. The failure process becomes unstable and stops at the stress level near the failure threshold. Evidence of internal friction in glass within the elastic deformation region is observed.