Stress Corrosion and Static Fatigue of Glass

TLDR

Stress corrosion of glass is believed to be driven by a chemical reaction between the glass and water. The study employed fracture‑mechanics techniques to measure crack velocities in water as functions of stress intensity factor and temperature, yielding apparent activation energies. Crack‑velocity data matched the universal fatigue curve, showing silica glass as most resistant, low‑alkali aluminosilicate and borosilicate next, with sodium reducing resistance, and were consistent with the Charles and Hillig stress‑corrosion theory.

Abstract

Stress corrosion cracking of six glasses was studied using fracture mechanics techniques. Crack velocities in water were measured as a function of applied stress intensity factor and temperature, and apparent activation energies for crack motion were obtained. Data were consistent with the universal fatigue curve for static fatigue of glass, which depended on glass composition. Of the glasses tested, silica glass was most resistant to static fatigue, followed by the low‐alkali aluminosilicate and borosilicate glasses. Sodium was detrimental to stress corrosion resistance. The crack velocity data could be explained by the Charles and Hillig theory of stress corrosion. It is probable that stress corrosion of glass is normally caused and controlled by a chemical reaction between the glass and water.