The (tensile) strength–size scaling of a float soda–lime–silicate glass was studied using biaxial flexure and Hertzian ring crack initiation testing. The examined Weibull effective areas spanned ∼0.4–48,000 mm2. Both the air and tin sides were tested. The air side was stronger than the tin side as others have observed; however, the differences in their characteristic strengths decreased with a decreasing effective area, and their strengths converged for effective areas smaller than ∼100 mm2. The failure stress at the smallest effective area examined for the tin side was ∼500% greater than that at the largest effective area, while that difference was ∼250% for the air side. A Weibull modulus change at ∼100 mm2 suggests different strength‐limiting flaw types were dominant below and above this effective area. These results reinforce the importance of the interpretation and use of the tensile strength of glass in context to how much of its area is being subjected to tensile stress.

No abstract

In Tabor's classical studies of the deformation of metals, the yield stress (Y) and hardness (H) were shown to be related according to H/Y ≈ 3 for complete or fully plastic deformation. Since then it has been anecdotally shown for ceramics that this ratio is <3. Interest exists to explore this further so Hertzian indentation was used to measure the apparent yield stress of numerous ceramics and metals and their results were compared with each material's load‐dependent Knoop hardness. The evaluated ceramics included standard reference materials for hardness (silicon nitride and tungsten carbide), silicon carbide, alumina, and glass. Several steel compositions were also tested for comparison. Knoop hardness measurements at 19.6 N (i.e., toward “complete or fully plastic deformation”), showed that 2 < H/Y < 3 for the metals and 0.8 < H/Y < 1.8 for the glasses and ceramics. Being that H/Y ≠ 3 for the ceramics indicates that Tabor's analysis is either not applicable to ceramics or that full plastic deformation is not achieved with a Knoop indentation or both.

In Tabor's classical studies of the deformation of metals, the yield stress (Y) and hardness (H) were shown to be related according to H/Y ≈ 3 for complete or fully plastic deformation. Since then it has been anecdotally shown for ceramics that this ratio is <3. Interest exists to explore this further so Hertzian indentation was used to measure the apparent yield stress of numerous ceramics and metals and their results were compared with each material's load‐dependent Knoop hardness. The evaluated ceramics included standard reference materials for hardness (silicon nitride and tungsten carbide), silicon carbide, alumina, and glass. Several steel compositions were also tested for comparison. Knoop hardness measurements at 19.6 N (i.e., toward “complete or fully plastic deformation”), showed that 2 < H/Y < 3 for the metals and 0.8 < H/Y < 1.8 for the glasses and ceramics. Being that H/Y ≠ 3 for the ceramics indicates that Tabor's analysis is either not applicable to ceramics or that full plastic deformation is not achieved with a Knoop indentation or both.