Glass Fracture Surfaces Seen With The Atomic Force Microscope

Systematic studies on a nanoneter scale have been performed with an atomic force microscope (AFM) on glass fracture surfaces of glass rods. For that, DURAN and AR glass rods were broken in a defined way and investigated immediately. On both glasses nanoscale and classical macroscopic features of the fracture surfaces were correlated. The average roughness increased with distance from the fracture origin. In the mirror zone, the root mean square (rms) roughness was measured to be between 2 and 4nm. This mist and hackle zones were much less homogeneous.