Stronger glass products: Lessons learned and yet to be learned

Abstract

AbstractPotential for obtaining stronger glass products is discussed. Flaws, mostly forming‐ and handling‐generated and accelerated crack growth due to surrounding environment appear to give a strength distribution which is usually a factor of 500‐1000 less than the estimated theoretical strength. Contrary to traditional teachings emphasizing glass strength to be an extrinsic behavior, it is suggested that the atomic network topology determines the shear and hydrostatic yield strengths which are a precursor to the nucleation and growth of network cavitation, in turn, leading to generation of flaws and stress‐assisted growth starting from glass product‐forming processes. Hence, for stronger glass products, research is needed to develop fundamental understanding of the interrelationship between network topology, yield strengths, flaw cavitation and growth in molten glass as well as in solid glass as a function of glass composition and the complex stress fields around indents and impacts.