The probability of hertzian fracture

The indentation strength of brittle solids is traditionally characterized by Auerbach's law, which predicts a linear relationship between the load required to initiate a Hertzian cone crack and the radius of a spherical indentor. This paper reviews both the energy balance and flaw statistical explanations of Auerbach's law. It is shown that Auerbach's law in the strictest sense only applies to well-abraded specimens. A novel application of Weibull statistics is presented which allows the distribution of fracture loads to be predicted for any specimen surface condition for a given indentor size. The indentation strength of a brittle solid, for both spherical and cylindrical indentors, is shown to be influenced by both its surface flaw statistics and the degree of interfacial friction. It is observed that the indentation strength of soda-lime glass is increased by a factor of about three times that expected for frictionless contact, and that for a fully bonded indentor, conical fractures cannot occur.