Abstract
A non-uniform temperature rise in the vicinity of crack tip often causes crack propagation. Taking advantage of this phenomenon, some brittle materials can be cleaved without any cutting tools but with an adequate controlling of a temperature distribution in the body.
In the present paper, based on the linear fracture mechanics, a possibility of the thermal stress cleaving is discussed for a brittle rectangular plate which is heated along its symmetrical axis. A time dependent thermal stress intensity factor of an edge crack was analyzed systematically by changing the plate dimensions and crack length. Experimental findings were compared with the analytical results and good agreements were found.
Especially, the crack extension characteristics in a cleaving test of a lime-soda glass can be well understood through the dependence of stress intensity factor on heating time and crack tip location.
