Finite element analysis of indentation on glass

The finite element method was applied to the analysis of the indentation process on glass. The calculated values of hardness for ideal elastic-plastic materials showed reasonable agreement with those obtained experimentally by other authors, but the calculated shapes of indentation were somewhat different from the real ones. When densification was taken into account, the calculated shapes of indentation showed better agreement with the real ones. The parameters for the calculation were estimated. The contribution of densification to the total deformation was estimated to be less than 45%, using the yield criterion as a basis for this estimation. A structure similar to the rosette-like structure was also calculated by this method. The finite element method was found to be one of the most effective methods for analysing indentations on glass, and it was shown that the mechanical properties of some glasses may be determined by precise observation of their indentations.