Back to search

Virginia Tech

Analysis of Strength Variation in Glass Due to Ion Exchange

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The main goal of this project was to compare the changes in statistical variation and Weibull characteristics of the strength of glass rods as modified by heat treatment with and without an ion exchange bath. Several sample groups of 30 sodium borosilicate glass rod specimens were heat treated at various temperatures in air and in a potassium nitrate salt bath to induce an ion exchange process. All samples were then tested to failure in 4-point bending to assess the resulting Modulus of Rupture (MOR). Statistical analysis techniques and Weibull analysis were used to study the variations which occur within and between strength distributions of each sample group. A smaller sampling of test groups was subjected to fractographic analysis to study the effect of ion exchange on fracture features. The data shows that the ion exchange process caused a statistically significant increase in the strength of the glass rods. Samples which were heat treated do not show any significant changes in average strength. The fractographic analysis suggests that no changes in fracture morphology occurred as a result of ion exchange process, and that the critical flaw size population was not significantly different.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Materials Science and Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Materials Science and Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2012

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Kulp, Andrew Brooks
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Clark, David E.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Suchicital, Carlos T. A.
  • Pickrell, Gary R.

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-05242012-182950
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33204

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Kulp, Andrew Brooks. Analysis of Strength Variation in Glass Due to Ion Exchange. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/33204