Steric Effects In Stress Corrosion Fracture Of Glass

Crack growth kinetics and zeolite diffusion data were used to determine the relation between molecular size and reactivity at the crack tip. Crack growth rates were measured in the presence of chemical species that have comparable chemical features and systematically increasing molecular diameters. Results show that chemically active species with diameters greater than 0.5nm are ineffective as stress corrosion agents.