The origin of median and lateral cracks around plastic indents in brittle materials

Abstract

The median and lateral cracks around Vickers and small-diameter spherical indentations in soda-lime glass have been studied. The indentations were sectioned to alloy a study of the subsurface deformation by making the indentations on and near the tip of a pre-existing crack. These observations are important to the application of indentation technique in determining fracture mechanics parameters as well as to the abrasion, erosion and wear processes in brittle materials.