Fractal dimensional analysis on glass fracture

The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between fractal dimensions and the quality of glass cutting. The glass samples to be analyzed were prepared with three different cutting tools: pliers, a glass cutter, and a laser beam. To measure fractal dimensions, a yardstick method and a box counting method were applied to microscopic images of the cutting edges and cross sections of glass, respectively. When the fractal dimensions are decreased, better cutting quality is obtained. Specifically, the fractal dimensions of the cutting edges exhibit a closer relationship to cutting quality than those of the cross sections. These results are consistent with the mechanism of initial crack propagation in glass cutting. Thus, fractal dimensional analysis should provide an effective technique for determining the quality of glass cutting.