Single Impact Testing Of Grains Of Brittle Materials

A method and equipment have been developed Tor measuring the impact strength of grains of brittle materials. It is shown that brittle materials develop a characteristic particle size distribution when fractured by impact. A simple mathematical model has been found to describe this distribution, and one of the parameters of the model has been designated the r value. The r value is directly proportional .to impact energy and, for fixed impact energy, it becomes a useful criterion of grain strength. Data are presented on the variation of the r value as a function of sample history, initial size, energy input and number of impacts, The results are interpreted in terms of the flaw theory of brittle fracture.