Tensile strength:
From 1 to 4 tons per sq. in. (Trautwine).
” ⅓ to 1¼ ” ” ” (Henrivaux).
” 2 to 5½ ” ” ” (Winkelmann and Schott).
” 5 to 6 ” ” ” (Kowalski).
Crushing strength:
From 9 to 16 tons per sq. in. (Trautwine).
” 3 to 8 ” ” ” (Winkelmann and Schott).
” 20 to 27 ” ” ” (Kowalski).
Of the above figures the experiments of Winkelmann and Schott are
probably by far the most reliable, but these refer to a series of
special Jena glasses, selected with a view to determining the influence
of chemical composition on mechanical properties, and, unfortunately,
this series does not include glasses at all closely resembling those
ordinarily used for practical purposes. The attempt to connect tensile
and crushing strength with chemical composition was also only very
partially successful; but the results serve to show that the chemical
composition has a profound influence on the mechanical strength of
glass, so that by systematic research it would probably be possible
to produce glasses of considerably greater mechanical strength than
those at present known. It must be noted in this connection that the
mechanical properties of glass depend to a very considerable extent
upon the rate of cooling which the specimen in question has undergone.
It is well known that by rapid cooling, or quenching, the hardness of
glass can be considerably increased; such treatment also increases
the strength both as against tension and compression, and numerous
processes have been put forward for the purpose of utilising these
effects in practice. Unfortunately the “hardened” glass thus obtained
is extremely sensitive to minute scratches, and flies to pieces as soon
as the surface is broken, and the great internal stress which always
exists in such glass is thereby relieved. All these peculiarities are,
of course, dependent as to their degree upon the rapidity with which
the glass has been cooled, and the aim of inventors in this field
has been to devise a rapid cooling process which should strike the
happy mean between the increased strength and the induced brittleness
resulting from quenching. Thus processes for “tempering” glass by
cooling it in a blast of steam or in a bath of hot oil or grease have
been brought forward; but, although some such glass is manufactured, no
very extensive practical application has resulted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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