Degradation of the strength of glass after light contact with other materials

Abstract

Damage to the surface of soda-lime glass arising from contact with other materials was evaluated by comparing the strength of etched glass rods before and after contact. Contact with carbon is much less damaging than contact with other materials. Contact with both titanium and meerschaum (hydrated magnesium silicate) produced a significant decrease in the strength of the etched glass, even through the meerschaum was as soft as the carbon compacts. Sintered titanium specimens caused even more damage to the glass, probably because of the effect of hard oxide particles introduced during sintering. It is concluded that contact damage arises from plastic indentation of the glass surface on the microscale by hard particles or phases in the surface layers of the contact material; the bulk hardness of the contact material has an effect in producing damage through the transmission of force in the hard particle-glass surface interaction.