Edge chipping of brittle materials: effect of side-wall inclination and loading angle

An earlier analysis of chipping fracture in brittle solids is here extended to include the case of blocks with inclined side faces and non-normal contact loading. The simple relation PF = βKch3/2 for the critical chipping load PF in terms of indent location h and material toughness Kc is preserved, with angular coordinates simply incorporated into the β coefficient. Chipping fracture tests using a Vickers indenter near the edges of glass blocks with non-orthogonal faces is used to validate the analysis. Implications of the results in relation to practical engineering, biomechanical and anthropological structures are indicated.