Dynamic Failure of Shock-Loaded Glass

Failure wave generations on both impacted surface and internal surface inside the sample have been observed for K9 glass under planar shock wave loading, which demonstrates that formation of failure wave is a process related to the surface microcracks nuclei developing. Based on these observations, a hypothesis is suggested that the large local strains resulting from the rearrangement of SiO₄ tetrahedral within the permanent densification region behind the shock wave front and then strains releasing due to the surface microcracks developing could be responsible for the failure wave generation.