Crack Propagation In Glass Research Articles

Selective unidirectional median crack propagation in glass achieved by mechanical scribing

This work reports a selective median crack propagation phenomenon in glass, leading to a novel glass cutting process. We found that by scribing a glass sample to the extent of plastic deformation with a deformation depth of 100–400 nm, followed by inducing an initial crack, a subsurface crack with a depth of ~ 10 μm was propagated backward along the centerline of the scribed region with a speed of 1 μm/s order. The crack depth and propagation speed were increased by increasing the scribing load. We conclude that the propagation direction was determined by the effect of the shear stress caused by a scribing tip sliding motion.

3D reconstruction of cracks propagation in mechanical workpieces analyzing non-stationary acoustic mixtures

Abstract Cracks are one of the main causes of solid bodies weakening and are a hidden threat for mechanical systems. Acoustic emission is an indicator of cracks initiation and propagation and is widely exploited for the localization of cracks in non- or weakly-transparent environments. The present study enriches the functionality of multiple existing algorithms in crack localization using acoustics. The novelty is in the reconstruction of the complex geometry of the crack path and tracking its propagation in time, whereas existing methods focus only on the localization of the crack without any information about its geometry. The algorithm uses sparse acoustic signal representations as relative energies of the narrow frequency bands, extracted with the M-band wavelet transform. Non-linear independent component analysis is applied to de-mix the recorded acoustic signals into a number of separate acoustic patterns. Furthermore, a triangulation, using the time delay arrivals, is applied for each of such patterns separately, thus extracting multiple individual emittance sources. The algorithm was tested using synthetic data that replayed various scenarios of crack propagation together with different detector arrays configurations and its behavior was analyzed. Additional verification with real-time data was carried out by analyzing signals from crack propagation in glass along a known programmed path. The acoustic data was recorded with four fiber Bragg gratings. In both cases, the algorithmic framework showed a high efficiency in recovering the geometrical configuration of the crack.

Chamber/Capsule‐Integrated Self‐Healing Coating on Glass for Preventing Crack Propagation

AbstractA transparent self‐healing coating incorporating chambers and capsules capable of preventing the propagation of cracks in glass is presented. The main features simultaneously satisfy the requirements of high transmittance (≈90% in the visible region) and the ability to heal random and large‐area cracks in coated‐glass materials (up to 6 cm long, 20 µm wide, and 1 mm deep per chamber). Additionally, the polymerized hydrogel used as the healing agent can stop crack propagation because of its high mechanical strength and good adhesion to glass. Remarkably, the healed glass can withstand a force approximately four times greater than what can be withstood by the unhealed glass after cracking.

Simulating the breakage of glass under hard body impact using the combined finite-discrete element method

The fracture behaviour of glass under hard body impact is simulated using the combined finite-discrete element method with a finite element incorporated into the discrete elements. A Mode I fracture model is employed and proven to be successful in modelling the crack initiation and tracking the crack propagation in glass. Cone, flexural and punching damages are obtained thus qualitatively verified the glass fracture model. A parametric study on tensile strength, fracture energy and impact velocity further examines the breakage behaviour of glass, demonstrating the applicability of this computational technique for the analysis of glass impact mechanism.

A meso-scale approach to modelling stable dynamic crack propagation in glass under rate-dependent loading

This paper presents a meso-scale approach to dynamic crack propagation, which incorporates a phenomenological rate-dependant cohesive zone law into the eXtended Finite Element Method for crack representation (XCZM). This approach is applied to a Double Cantilever Beam made of glass, for which an analytical solution and well-known experimental data are available. A comparison of model predictions with experimental observations shows that the proposed approach is capable of reproducing all essential features of dynamic cracking of glass, lending support to the method applicability to other classes of brittle and quasi-brittle materials.

Crack and Shock Propagation Through the Interlayer in Soda Lime Glass Under Detonation Loading

Dynamic wave interaction and crack propagation in glass have been observed with the edge‐on impact (EOI) style test method using an exploding bridged wire (EBW) detonator. The existence of an interlayer or internal surface displayed meaningful wave distortions, delays, reflections, and decreasing amplitude. The interlayer materials used were rubber, stainless steel, and cut surface. The results indicate that the shocks passing the interlayer decrease following the impedance condition and that much of the crack is stopped at the interlayer. The damage pattern was analyzed with the energy and stress dissipation rate.

Fractal dimensional analysis on glass fracture

The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between fractal dimensions and the quality of glass cutting. The glass samples to be analyzed were prepared with three different cutting tools: pliers, a glass cutter, and a laser beam. To measure fractal dimensions, a yardstick method and a box counting method were applied to microscopic images of the cutting edges and cross sections of glass, respectively. When the fractal dimensions are decreased, better cutting quality is obtained. Specifically, the fractal dimensions of the cutting edges exhibit a closer relationship to cutting quality than those of the cross sections. These results are consistent with the mechanism of initial crack propagation in glass cutting. Thus, fractal dimensional analysis should provide an effective technique for determining the quality of glass cutting.

Role of the pore fluid in crack propagation in glass

We investigate pore fluid effects due to surface energy variation or due to chemical corrosion in cracked glass. Both effects have been documented through experimental tests on cracked borosilicate glass samples. Creep tests have been performed to investigate the slow crack propagation behavior. We compared the dry case (saturated with argon gas), the nonreactive water saturated case (commercial mineralized water), and the distilled and deionized water saturated case (pure water). Chemical corrosion effects have been observed and evidenced from pH and water composition evolution of the pure water. Then, the comparison of the dry case, the mineral water saturated case, and the corrosion case allow to (i) evidence the mechanical effect of the presence of a pore fluid and (ii) show also the chemical effect of a glass dissolution. Both effects enhance subcritical crack propagation.

Brittle creep and subcritical crack propagation in glass submitted to triaxial conditions

AbstractAn experimental work is presented that aimed at improving our understanding of the mechanical evolution of cracks under brittle creep conditions. Brittle creep may be an important slow deformation process in the Earth's crust. Synthetic glass samples have been used to observe and document brittle creep due to slow crack‐propagation. A crack density of 0.05 was introduced in intact synthetic glass samples by thermal shock. Creep tests were performed at constant confining pressure (15 MPa) for water saturated conditions. Data were obtained by maintaining the differential‐stress constant in steps of 24 h duration. A set of sensors allowed us to record strains and acoustic emissions during creep. The effect of temperature on creep was investigated from ambient temperature to 70°C. The activation energy for crack growth was found to be 32 kJ/mol. In secondary creep, a large dilatancy was observed that did not occur in constant strain rate tests. This is correlated to acoustic emission activity associated with crack growth. As a consequence, slow crack growth has been evidenced in glass. Beyond secondary creep, failure in tertiary creep was found to be a progressive process. The data are interpreted through a previously developed micromechanical damage model that describes crack propagation. This model allows one to predict the secondary brittle creep phase and also to give an analytical expression for the time to rupture. Comparison between glass and crystalline rock indicates that the brittle creep behavior is probably controlled by the same process even if stress sensitivity for glass is lower than for rocks.

Observation of Crack Propagation in Glass Using X‐ray Phase Contrast Imaging

High‐speed X‐ray phase contrast imaging synchronized with a Kolsky bar apparatus was utilized to investigate the cracking behavior of a borosilicate glass, a soda lime glass, and a glass ceramic in front of a cylindrical projectile with an impact velocity of 5 ms−1. For each material, three different surface conditions were prepared for the impacted edge of the specimen. Angular cracking was observed in front of the projectile for borosilicate glass. For soda lime glass, straight cracking was observed. For glass ceramic, curved cracking was observed in front of the projectile. Cracking behavior was observed to be independent of the surface condition on the impacted edge.

Stress-corrosion mechanisms in silicate glasses

The present review is intended to revisit the advances and debates in the comprehension of the mechanisms of subcritical crack propagation in silicate glasses almost a century after its initial developments. Glass has inspired the initial insights of Griffith into the origin of brittleness and the ensuing development of modern fracture mechanics. Yet, through the decades the real nature of the fundamental mechanisms of crack propagation in glass has escaped a clear comprehension which could gather general agreement on subtle problems such as the role of plasticity, the role of the glass composition, the environmental condition at the crack tip and its relation to the complex mechanisms of corrosion and leaching. The different processes are analysed here with a special focus on their relevant space and time scales in order to question their domain of action and their contribution in both the kinetic laws and the energetic aspects.

Crack Propagation in Glass by Laser Irradiation Along Laser Scribed Line

A mechanical breaking process after laser scribing is indispensable to complete the separation of glass substrate since the crack depth induced by the laser scribing is limited. Laser irradiation along the laser scribed line is introduced in this paper as a crack propagation method in depth direction after the laser scribing of a relatively thick glass in order to make the mechanical breaking easier. Since the separating load decreases by propagating the scribed crack deeply, it contributes to the inhibition of glass particle generation. The target of this research is to clarify the mechanism of crack propagation by the laser irradiation along the laser scribed line. Two-dimensional thermal elasticity analysis was conducted by a finite element method based on the experimental results in order to theoretically estimate the laser irradiation condition, which propagates crack. The following results were obtained. Compressive stress is generated on the glass surface and tensile stress is generated inside the glass by the laser irradiation along the laser scribed line. The tensile stress concentrates at the crack tip induced by the laser scribing, and the crack propagates into the depth direction. The condition of crack propagation can be estimated from the maximum surface temperature and the maximum tensile stress of the crack tip in practical processing velocity (200 mm/s or more mm/s).

Finite element analysis of a crack tip in silicate glass: No evidence for a plastic zone

Recently, the claim was made that cracks in silicate glasses propagate by the nucleation, growth, and coalescence of cavities at crack tips, which is the same way as in metals but at a much smaller scale. This hypothesis for crack growth is based in part on the measurement of surface displacements near the tip of an emerging crack, which is the point at which a crack front intersects the side surface of the specimen. Surface displacements measured by atomic force microscopy were less than theoretically predicted. The difference between the theoretical and experimental displacements was attributed to a plastic zone surrounding the tip of the moving crack. In this paper, we show that the theoretical analysis used earlier was based on an incorrect assumption about the functional dependence of the displacement with distance from the crack tip. We use a full three-dimensional finite element analysis combined with an asymptotic solution of the crack geometry to obtain a solution to the surface displacement problem. We show that the calculated displacements are fully consistent with those experimentally measured by using an atomic force microscope. No divergence from elastic behavior is observed. Our results support the view that crack propagation in glass is entirely brittle. No evidence for plasticity at the crack tips is obtained.

The Crack Tip: A Nanolab for Studying Confined Liquids

We study the equilibrium properties of a liquid phase condensed at the nanoscale between the surfaces of a sharp crack in fused silica in a moist controlled atmosphere. The extension of the condensed phase along the fracture is measured by in situ atomic force microscopy phase imaging and it is shown to be determined by a critical distance between the opposite crack surfaces, which is an increasing function of humidity. The present technique is very promising for measuring the properties of confined liquids at the nanoscale as well as for modeling the physics and chemistry of slow crack propagation in glasses.

Dynamic condensation of water at crack tips in fused silica glass

Water molecules play a fundamental role in the physics of slow crack propagation in glasses. It is commonly understood that, during stress-corrosion, water molecules that move in the crack cavity effectively reduce the bond strength at the strained crack tip and, thus, support crack propagation. Yet the details of the environmental condition at the crack tip in moist air are not well determined. In a previous work, we reported direct evidence of the presence of a 100nm long liquid condensate at the crack tip in fused silica glass during very slow crack propagation (10−9–10−10m/s). These observations are based on in situ AFM phase imaging techniques applied on DCDC glass specimens in controlled atmosphere. Here, we discuss the physical origin of the AFM phase contrast between the liquid condensate and the glass surface in relation to tip-sample adhesion induced by capillary bridges. We then report new experimental data on the water condensation length increase with relative humidity in the atmosphere. The measured condensation lengths were much larger than what predicted using the Kelvin equation and expected geometry of the crack tip.

Microstructure-based modelling and experimental investigation of crack propagation in glass–alumina functionally graded materials

The aim of the present work was the determination of the fracture mechanisms in glass–alumina functionally graded materials (FGMs). The investigation was performed by means of a combined approach based on microscale computational simulations, which provided for an accurate modelling of the actual FGM microstructure, and experimental analysis. The numerical results proved that microstructural defects, such as pores, deeply influenced the damage evolution. On the contrary, the minimization of the mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion of the ingredient materials allowed to obtain low thermal residual stresses, which did not relevantly affect the crack propagation. In order to support the numerical model, microindentation tests were performed on the cross-section of FGM specimens and the experimentally observed crack paths were compared to the computationally predicted ones.

Influence of Stress Parallel to Crack Plan on Subcritical Crack Propagation in Glass under Biaxial Stress

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the influence of the stress parallel to the crack plane on subcritical crack growth in brittle materials by using a numerical code MFPA2D. The mechanism of this influence is also discussed. The curves of subcritical crack extension vs. strain of brittle materials under uniaxial and biaxial stress were obtained through numerical tests with acoustic emission consideration. The results showed that the tensile stress parallel to the crack plane has the effect on crack arrest, while the compressive stress parallel to the crack plane plays important role in crack opening process. The numerical results were consistent with experimental observed result, which shows the reliability of the numerical method, and provides theoretic foundation for failure analysis and life estimation of brittle materials.

Formation of embedded patterns in glasses using femtosecond irradiation

Channel formation in glasses is demonstrated and discussed. Photosensitive glass (Foturan) was microstructured using femtosecond irradiation at 800 nm and 400 nm wavelengths, with subsequent thermal annealing, and HF etching of a lithium-silicate phase formed by exposure-annealing. It was found that there is a significant difference in the volume of lithium-silicate when the exposure was made with and without optical breakdown. Channels with a minimum cross section of approximately 10 μm were achieved. In silicate glasses, the optically induced dielectric breakdown was used for the recording of channel patterns. The highest wet etching rate in a HF based solution was observed when the irradiance corresponded to the 2.5–3.0 thresholds of dielectric breakdown and the adjacent pulses were overlapping by more than 50% of the diameter of the focussed beam. Under these conditions, the formation of a void inside the glass was confirmed by optical observation of single shot damage under a microscope. The mechanism of selective wet etching in silicate glasses is discussed in terms of the stress corrosion effect, which explains crack propagation in glasses via the reaction of stretched Si–O–Si bonds at the tip of a crack with water, resulting in SiOH formation. It is shown that intra-connection of voxels was the key factor to achieve etching of high aspect ratio patterns in silica glass.

Nano-ductile crack propagation in glasses under stress corrosion: spatiotemporal evolution of damage in the vicinity of the crack tip

Recent experiments have evidenced the existence of a ductile fracture mode at the nanometer scale in Aluminosilicate glass. The present study is designed to check whether such a ductile mode is inherent to the amorphous nature of glass. Therefore, the slow crack advance is observed in real time via an Atomic Force Microscope in a minimal glass, amorphous Silica, under stress corrosion. In this case, the Crack propagation proceeds by the nucleation, growth and coalescence of damage cavities as in the Aluminosilicate glass, but the cavity size is significantly larger. We focus here on the kinematics of crack propagation by looking at the spatio-temporal evolution of both the tip of the main crack and the cavity ahead. It is shown that the velocity of the main crack tip is significantly lower than the one of the cavity edge toward the main crack tip, like in metallic alloys. Moreover, the velocities of the different fronts (main crack, frontward and backward cavity tips) at these nanometric scales is one order of magnitude smaller than the crack tip velocity at the continuum scale. This has important consequences for the modelling of stress corrosion, especially at ultra-slow crack propagation.

Fractography of Mode I Crack Propagation in Glass Cloth/Vinylester Composite

Fractography of Mode I Crack Propagation in Glass Cloth/Vinylester Composite