Method for identifying and mapping flaw size distributions on glass surfaces for predicting mechanical response

The statistical and critical tensile stresses associated with crack initiation on glass surfaces are dependent on the size and location of pre-existing flaws. The introduction, sizes, concentrations, and distribution of those pre-existing flaws at any moment of time are a direct and cumulative consequence of any glass's manufacturing, packaging, handling, and service histories. A new, nondestructive "High Resolution Flaw Classification System" is under development that rapidly identifies, measures, and maps surface-located flaws on glass. Flaws smaller than 8 × 8 μm are detectable and many square centimeters per second can be scanned. The potential mechanical response of that glass, with that quantified surface-flaw state at that moment of time, can then be predicted using the classical Griffith criterion.