Fractographic analysis of epoxy coated glass

Epoxy based surface coatings can be used to increase glass strength. Epoxy coated samples have been tested in bending and a detailed fractographic analysis of the resultant fracture surfaces has been conducted in order to more fully understand the strengthening mechanism. The fractographic analysis was conducted on samples coated using different emulsion concentrations and crack sizes. The fractographic analysis of the tested samples showed that increasing the emulsion concentration increased the amount of epoxy that infiltrated the cracks. It also showed that the type of the fracture varies with the change of the crack filling and the crack dimensions. The results confirmed that these epoxy coatings were capable of healing small cracks.