DETERMINATION OF FLAW-SIZE DISTRIBUTION BY THE CRACK-OFF PROCESS

The crack‐off process is a new alternative to diamond sawing for the cutting of brittle materials. The process involves exposing brittle rods (or plates) to biaxial fluid pressure. Fluid penetration into surface flaws causes fracture at pressures strongly dependent on the severity of the flaws. A method for calculating the probability‐density distribution of surface flaws in a batch of brittle rods, using the crack‐off pressures for a random sample, is presented here. The scatter in the pressure data is a consequence of the statistical nature of surface flaws. Parameters defining the flawsize distribution can hence be deduced from the crack‐off pressure distribution. The method has been tested on two batches of glass rods that have undergone different treatments, with satisfactory results. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved