Glass & Ceramics

A person drops a cell phone on the sidewalk. Exponent studies the strength and fracture of glass to improve screen technologies.

Case study

Clear as Glass: Understanding Strength and Fracture

Leveraging Exponent's multidisciplinary knowledge to understand failure in ceramic and glass materials

Ceramics and glass offer a diverse range of applications, from fired clay materials like bricks and tableware to float glass windows and pressed or blown glassware to advanced materials that enable consumer electronics, telecommunications, and energy storage. Regardless of the use, performance challenges can occur when variables in design, manufacturing, material compatibility, and service environment degrade component properties.

Exponent's ceramics and glass consultants leverage decades of experience in materials research, product development, and failure analysis to solve performance issues through services such as material selection, reliability assessment, process optimization, and technology evaluation. We offer extensive support in dispute resolution involving glass or ceramic products and components, and we provide unique insights into how to avoid problems early in the design cycle and how to diagnose the root causes of component underperformance.

As experts in the prevention and analysis of material failures in all types of ceramic and glass applications, we help clients analyze safety glass/glazing in buildings (e.g., insulating glass units, curtainwalls, balustrades) and vehicles (e.g., windshields, sunroofs, glass dashboards); identify defects in glass packaging (e.g., bottles, jars, vials) for food and pharmaceutical products; investigate the performance of glass and ceramics in medical devices and consumer products; analyze the fracture of ceramic whitewares and electrical insulators; and resolve processing challenges with ceramic substrates used in microelectronics packaging.

SERVICES

For 50+ years, we’ve thrived on solving unstructured problems that require bespoke solutions. Some of our services include:

• Fracture investigations to identify the root causes of cracking, including fractography, mechanical property testing, and failure recreation testing

• Material analysis to determine properties and characteristics, including defect analysis, chemical composition testing, microstructural characterization, optical properties analysis, and durability evaluations

• Reliability assessments to understand long-term performance, including accelerated testing, stress analysis, and failure statistics (e.g., Weibull) analysis

• Design support for process and product optimization, including material selection, supplier evaluation, and design for reliability

• Full-spectrum process reviews, from desk review of information to on-site inspections and process audits, including targeted line inspections

Our Capabilities Are Unparalleled

With expertise in over 90 disciplines and hundreds of capabilities, tools, and methodologies — we get to the root of even the most complex challenges and give you the objective answers you need.

Experts

Our global and comprehensive expertise across industries gives us a deep understanding of current challenges, best industry practices, and the implications of emerging technologies.