Experimental research on propagation of failure wave in glass

Planar impact experiments of soda-lime glass were conducted on a 57 mm diameter one-stage gas gun, in which the free surface particle velocity histories for several different thicknesses of soda-lime glass under the same impact loading were measured by using VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector). Both the failure wave velocity and the failure wave trajectory were obtained. The experimental results showed that there is a time delay for the failure wave to form on the impact surface of the soda-lime glass, which decreases with the magnitude of the impact load. The present study plays an important role in further understanding of the formation mechanism and propagation law of failure wave in brittle materials.