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You are here: Home / Failure Analysis / Glass Failure Analysis Proof that Glass Can Fail In Fatigue

Glass Failure Analysis Proof that Glass Can Fail In Fatigue

April 16, 2020 By Tom Read Leave a Comment

  Read Consulting Failure Analysis Services include first article testing for various importers. In this case, borosilicate glass carafes were to be imported, and the consultants at Read Consulting were asked to perform thermal shock durability tests. In this case, the carafe bottoms were scrubbed with a wet sponge embedded with 400 grit aluminum oxide (alumina). These carafes were then heated to 160°C and then rapidly quenched in 10°C water. This procedure was repeated till the carafe cracked. This carafe cracked on the fifty first cycle. Glass failure analysis was performed. The carafe bottom cracked from thermal fatigue. The crack originated at one of the scratches created by the scrubbing. The surprise is that glass can experience fatigue cracking. In this case, the outside bottom was put into tension during the rapid quench into the cold water. The initial defect (i.e.crack) grew incrementally until it reached a critical length where it was able to traverse the entire carafe bottom. 

 

Bottom of the carafe where the scrub scratches are visible (Mag. 20X)
Overview of the final crack traversing the carafe bottom. Note: this thermally driven crack is not straight. This is typical of a crack driven by thermal stresses.
Photomicrograph of the origin. It shows that the crack initiated at scratch damage (Mag. 6X)
Proof of Fatigue in Glass
Higher Magnification Photomicrograph of the failure origin. It confirms that the crack was progressive before the failure (i.e. this is a fatigue crack Mag. 30X).

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Read Consulting Failure Analysis

Thomas L. Read, PhD,
1435 Fulton Road Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: 707-494-5089
email: info@readconsulting.com

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Read Consulting Failure Analysis

Thomas L. Read, PhD,
1435 Fulton Road Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: 707-494-5089
email: info@readconsulting.com

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