Fracture Analysis of Fluid Filled Glass Tubes
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Type
Submission
Abstract
Brittle materials like glass form clear fracture patterns when they break. This study examines fluid driven fractures in glass tubes filled with fluid and hit with controlled impacts. The impact energy and tube conditions are varied to study how fractures start and grow, based on Griffith fracture theory and mechanisms. When the tube is hit, pressure waves move through the glass and the fluid. This creates short pressure spikes that build stress on the opposite side of the impacts and form new unique crack directions, with markings that allow for the characterization of the initial conditions that caused the fracture. Results show that internal fluid pressure increases the effective stress and promotes fracture formation. This work helps explain fractures in fluid filled structures like human long bones, where high energy impacts can cause remote or secondary breaks especially in severe trauma injuries. Understanding fluid dynamics and how pressure propagates in fluid filled glass tubes can prove valuable in forensic fracture analysis of biological materials and glass systems.
Faculty Mentor
Mary Holden
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
10-4-2026 1:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2026 2:00 PM
Fracture Analysis of Fluid Filled Glass Tubes
Waves Cafeteria
Brittle materials like glass form clear fracture patterns when they break. This study examines fluid driven fractures in glass tubes filled with fluid and hit with controlled impacts. The impact energy and tube conditions are varied to study how fractures start and grow, based on Griffith fracture theory and mechanisms. When the tube is hit, pressure waves move through the glass and the fluid. This creates short pressure spikes that build stress on the opposite side of the impacts and form new unique crack directions, with markings that allow for the characterization of the initial conditions that caused the fracture. Results show that internal fluid pressure increases the effective stress and promotes fracture formation. This work helps explain fractures in fluid filled structures like human long bones, where high energy impacts can cause remote or secondary breaks especially in severe trauma injuries. Understanding fluid dynamics and how pressure propagates in fluid filled glass tubes can prove valuable in forensic fracture analysis of biological materials and glass systems.