Damage survey of a vehicle windshield exposed to sandblasting in Sahara

TLDR

The study describes damage to a vehicle windshield caused by sandblasting erosion in Saharan climate conditions. We surveyed windshield samples used for two years in Ouargla, Algeria, characterizing flaw morphology, size distribution, density, roughness, and optical transmission. The survey found a high flaw density (~316 / cm²) with mean size ~245 µm, diverse morphologies including micro‑cracks, flakes, and pits, and a drop in optical transmission from 92 % to 58 %.

Abstract

In the present work, we describe the damage of a vehicle windshield caused by sandblasting erosion in Saharan climate conditions. In order to evaluate this damage, we carried out a survey on samples taken from a windshield that was used during two years in the region of Ouargla in the south of Algeria. The survey concerns primarily a description of the damage flaws (morphology, flaw size distribution and density) and an evaluation of the roughness and the optical transmission. The results show that the samples average flaw density (number of flaws per cm2 surface) is 316±65. The mean size based on a large number of flaws from all samples is 245±128μm. Microscopic observations reveal that the flaws vary also in their morphologies. The main flaw types (micro-cracks, flakes and pits) extend differently in length and depth. The evaluation of the optical transmission reveals a decrease from 92% down to 58% using a light flux normal to the glass samples surface.