Irradiation-induced toughening of calcium aluminoborosilicate glasses

Abstract

Methods to improve the fracture toughness and strength of glassy materials are increasingly important for a variety of applications that remain limited by the restrictions of brittleness and surface defect propensity. Here, we report on the enhancement of glass mechanical performance through a combination of a tailored chemistry and irradiation post-treatment. Specifically, we show through both experiments and atomistic simulations that the defect (crack) initiation resistance as well as the fracture toughness of selected calcium aluminoborosilicate glasses can be significantly improved (by more than 400% in some cases) through heavy ion irradiation. The ion irradiation process reorganizes the borate subnetwork through a partial transformation of tetrahedral to trigonal boron units, which in turn also modifies the glass at longer lengths scales, such as through a coarsening in the distribution of loop structures. The …