Mechanical Properties of a High Lead Glass Used in the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer

The elastic constants, strength, fracture toughness, slow crack growth parameters, and mirror constant of a high lead glass supplied as tubes and funnels were measured using ASTM International (formerly ASTM, American Society for Testing and Materials) methods and modifications thereof. The material exhibits lower Young's modulus and slow crack growth exponent as compared to soda-lime silica glass. Highly modified glasses exhibit lower fracture toughness and slow crack growth exponent than high purity glasses such as fused silica.