Surface stress relaxation of oxide glasses : the effects on mechanical strength

Abstract

A new glass strengthening mechanism based upon surface compressive stress formation by surface stress relaxation of glasses that were held under a tensile stress, at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature, in low water vapor pressure, has been demonstrated. Although glass fibers are traditionally known to become mechanically weaker when heat-treated at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature in the presence of water vapor, the strength was found to become greater than the as-received fiber strength when fibers were subjected to a sub-critical tensile stress during heat-treatment. The observed strengthening was attributed to surface compressive residual stress formation through surface stress relaxation during the sub-critical tensile stress application in the atmosphere containing water vapor.

The method can in principle be used to strengthen any oxide glass and is not subjected to the constraints of traditional strengthening methods such as a minimum thickness for tempering, or a glass containing alkali ions for ion-exchange. Thus far, the method has been successful in strengthening silica glass, E-glass, and soda-lime silicate glass by approximately 20-30%.

Surface stress relaxation of the same glass fibers was shown to take place under conditions identical to those experienced by the strengthened mechanical test specimens by observing permanent bending of the fiber. Furthermore, the magnitude and presence of the residual stresses formed during bending or tensile heat-treatments were confirmed by FTIR, fiber etching, and fiber slicing methods.