Tribologie des verres silicatés - Frottement et endommagement superficiel
Résumé
Surface damage lies at the root of glass brittleness. In this article, the main causes of surface damage are described, starting from simple cracking induced by normal contact with a blunt indenter, up to scratch-induced damage and spalling. We also demonstrate a strong coupling between mechanical loading and chemical reactivity of silicate glasses, with implications for both (i) surface damage and crack propagation, and (ii) polishing and planarisation. A few examples of industrial glass protection processes are also given.