Micro-Crack Healing on Soda-Lime Glass by Chemical Strengthening

We studied whether chemical strengthening can heal the flaws on soda-lime silicate glass. Artificial surface cracks were introduced on the glass by sharp indentation with various loads of 0.1 to 10 N. Then, the glasses with flaws were treated by ion-exchanging in KNO3 melt. The change in the dimension of the crack on glass was measured by a digital microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The chemical strengthening treatment enhances the strength of the glass with flaws. It is thought that the melted KNO3 not only forms the depth of the compressed layer of 7.5 mu m, but also heals the cracks by infiltrating them and expanding the glass on both sides of the cracks. The critical length (2c) of the cracks on soda-lime glass that can be healed by chemical strengthening is 50 mu m or less.